3 Reasons Why Reinier De Ridder Will Beat Anatoly Malykhin at ONE on Prime Video 5 This Friday

This Friday at ONE on Prime Video 5, Reinier de Ridder and Anatoly Malykhin will clash in a battle of undefeated ONE World Champions. Set to go down at the Mall of Asia Arena in Manila, Philippines, and air live to primetime viewers in the U.S., this main event showdown is one of the most anticipated MMA fights of 2022.

De Ridder, the reigning ONE Middleweight and Light Heavyweight World Champion, enters this bout with plenty to lose. “The Dutch Knight” is putting his light heavyweight belt and spotless 16-0 professional record on the line against Malykhin, who is the current ONE Interim Heavyweight World Champion.

Although the Russian will be the heavier fighter and sports a pristine 11-0 professional record, De Ridder comes into this bout as the favorite, and for good reason. With that said, let’s dig into why “The Dutch Knight” could successfully defend his ONE Light Heavyweight World Title on December 2.

#1 His Dangerous Submission Game

Simply put, the Combat Brothers representative is one of the best grapplers and submission specialists in all of MMA. The owner of 11 submission victories, De Ridder has followed a straightforward yet highly successful strategy in each of his ONE Championship bouts: clinch, secure the takedown, and finish the fight on the mat.

READ MORE – Reinier De Ridder Gives Detailed Prediction for How He Will Beat Anatoly Malykhin at ONE on Prime Video 5

Fresh off a submission-of-the-year contender against Malykhin’s teammate Vitaly Bigdash at ONE 159 in July, the Dutch superstar will certainly look to employ his world-class grappling against his power-punching opponent.

#2 His Five-Round Gas Tank

Even if De Ridder is unable to score the finish, he likely holds the advantage in cardio.

Not only will he be the smaller athlete and therefore carry less muscle, but he also has experience fighting a full 25-minute World Championship bout. Malykhin, on the other hand, has only ever seen the second round just a handful of times.

“The Dutch Knight” proved his championship mettle at ONE on TNT IV in April 2021, when he battled Myanmar superstar Aung La N Sang over five grueling rounds to capture the ONE Light Heavyweight World Title.

#3 His Main Event Championship Experience

Beyond his five-round gas tank, De Ridder also holds the edge in overall big fight experience. Make no mistake, the Russian powerhouse is a dangerous and deserving ONE World Champion in his own right, but he has just a single World Title fight to his resume.

READ MORE – “He Doesn’t Bring Anything Really Special” – Despite Respecting Anatoly Malykhin’s Brutal Striking Reinier De Ridder Is Confident About a Victory

Meanwhile, the two-division king lives and thrives in high-stakes spots. Each of “The Dutch Knight’s” past four MMA contests have been World Title bouts and, like his showdown against Malykhin on Friday, each was the main event.

Feeling at home under the bright lights, that experience could pay dividends for De Ridder.