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Reinier de Ridder vs. Anatoly Malykhin: Four keys to victory at ONE Fight Night 5

Two-division ONE World Champion Reinier de Ridder puts his light heavyweight crown on the line against interim heavyweight titleholder Anatoly Malykhin in a battle of undefeated superstars.

Reinier de Ridder and Anatoly Malykhin

Manila, November 30: ONE Fight Night 5: De Ridder vs. Malykhin goes down this Saturday, 3 December, at the Mall of Asia Arena in Manila, Philippines. And the main event is a big one.

Two-division ONE World Champion Reinier de Ridder puts his light heavyweight crown on the line against interim heavyweight titleholder Anatoly Malykhin in a battle of undefeated superstars.

Both men able to score highlight-reel finishes, so this matchup promises to be barnburner. Here, we've broken down what each man brings to the table and how it could lead them to victory on Saturday (December 3).

#1 De Ridder's Grappling

Undefeated Reinier de Ridder is one of the best grapplers in MMA today. "The Dutch Knight" has finished 11 of his 16 professional wins by submission, and his ground game is enough to give would-be opponents nightmares.

The 32-year-old could utilize his skills to win the wrestling exchanges and take the fight to the floor. And if he does that, it will be a long night for Malykhin.

#2 Malykhin's Power Shots

Also undefeated as a professional, Anatoly Malykhin has earned most of his wins with strikes, including his three wins in the Circle so far.

"Sladkiy" will look to add another big knockout to his highlight reel at the expense of De Ridder. And on paper, this would appear to be his best chance of dethroning the Dutch star.

#3 De Ridder's Championship Experience

De Ridder will bring a decided advantage in terms of championship experience to the Circle at ONE Fight Night 5.

The current double World Champion has had four World Title fights in ONE, in which he took out former World Champions Kiamrian Abbasov, Vitaly Bigdash, and Aung La N Sang.

In comparison, Malykhin has fought three times in the Circle, and just one of those was a championship bout. De Ridder certainly knows how to get the job done on the big stage, and his vast experience could well be the difference.

#4 Malykhin's Size

Malykhin has fought his entire MMA career at heavyweight, but the hulking Russian will step down to light heavyweight in search of gold on this occasion.

The question of whether the 34-year-old can make weight healthily has loomed over this bout, but if he does, we can assume that he will be the bigger man on the night.

As the bigger fighter, Malykhin will have the ability to impose his size on the Dutch submission ace, which could play a significant role, especially in the wrestling exchanges.

With so many questions hanging over this fight, it promises to be another memorable night of action on 3 December.

The ONE Fight Night 5: De Ridder vs. Malykhin lead card will be broadcast live on Disney+ Hotstar and Star Sports Select 2 at 6:30 AM IST on Saturday, December 3. The main card will follow on Disney+ Hotstar and Star Sports Select 2 at 8:30 AM IST.

Source: Media Release

Story first published: Wednesday, November 30, 2022, 14:13 [IST]
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