Worlds Collide: Everything you need to know about Reinier de Ridder vs. Andre Galvao at ONE X

Andre Galvao is one of the best in the world of grappling and Reinier de Ridder has proven his dominance in the MMA world. At ONE X, their worlds collide in the circle.

The pair will figure in a submission grappling bout at the 10-year anniversary extravaganza’s first installment, ONE X: Part I, which kicks off at 1:00PM SGT on Saturday, March 26.

The bout will be 12 minutes long with no breaks. It will be a submission-only format, with athletes winning either via tapout, verbal tapout or referee stoppage. Should the 12 minutes finish without any of that happening, the bout will be declared a draw.

During the clash, athletes are allowed to attempt throws, takedowns, and both standing and ground submissions.

Here’s what you need to know about the collision course between two of the best in MMA and grappling.

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This will be Andre Galvao’s first match in ONE Championship

Andre Galvao has won various levels of grappling competitions from all over the world over the past 20 years. In 2021, ONE Championship signed Galvao in a move to bolster its submission grappling roster.

The promotion has featured MMA, Muay Thai and kickboxing on a regular basis, but could be looking to turn its attention to incorporating more submission grappling bouts to its events with all their big-name signings. Brazilian jiu-jitsu champions and stars that have joined ONE Championship include Garry Tonon, Gordon Ryan and Marcus ‘Buchecha’ Almeida.

Galvao's match with Reinier de Ridder will be the 39-year-old’s first in the promotion. He’s looking at it as a great introduction to the world and hopes it could open up more opportunities for him to compete in the future, be it in MMA or in submission grappling.

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Reinier de Ridder effectively called Andre Galvao the best in the world

In February, Reinier de Ridder claimed the 15th straight victory of his professional MMA career with a dominating performance over ONE welterweight world champion Kiamrian Abbasov.

'The Dutch Knight' fulfilled his pre-fight prediction of dominating Abbasov from start to finish and further proved why he is one of the best grapplers in MMA today. Following his victory, de Ridder picked up the microphone to call out Andre Galvao for a match to figure out "who’s the best around."

Despite all the great grapplers that have signed on with the promotion, de Ridder’s desire to test his skills against Galvao is a sign of his reverence to the Brazilian’s grappling skills.

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Their match at ONE X will be out of both their comfort zones

While they will play by the rules that Andre Galvao is familiar with, it doesn’t mean that the Brazilian will have a distinct advantage over Reinier de Ridder. Instead of mats, they will compete inside the circle, where de Ridder has conquered all of his opponents.

The Dutchman is no slouch in the sport either. He has showcased his grappling skills throughout his MMA career, with 10 of his 15 wins coming by way of submission.

Whoever imposes their will earlier will have a good shot at overcoming the other. Both are legends in their own right and on Saturday, they will show the world who the best grappler is between them.