Anatoly Malykhin says relentless pressure was too much for rival Reinier de Ridder: "I'm the only opponent who got him tired"

Three-division MMA world champion Anatoly Malykhin credited himself for being the only fighter to make Reinier de Ridder tired.

In Dec. 2022, Malykhin claimed his first world title by dethroning de Ridder of the ONE light heavyweight MMA throne. The hard-hitting Russian went on to secure the heavyweight strap before meeting 'The Dutch Knight' for a rematch on March 1 in the ONE 166: Qatar.

This time, 'Sladkiy' challenged de Ridder for his ONE middleweight MMA world title. Malykhin found similar success with a third-round knockout to claim three-division supremacy, establishing him as the most dangerous fighter in the promotion and derailing his rival's career.

Malykhin recently did an interview with MMA Junkie and had this to say about his ability to break down de Ridder twice:

"If you look at de Ridder's previous 16 fights, you will see that he never got tired. I'm the only opponent who managed to get him tired in the first and in the second rounds."

Watch Anatoly Malykhin's interview with MMA Junkie below:

---

What's next for three-division MMA world champion Anatoly Malykhin?

Anatoly Malykhin has plenty of options for his next fight. Although there's nothing confirmed, Malykhin might defend his ONE heavyweight MMA throne in the near future to give his body a break from cutting weight.

Assuming Malykhin does return to heavyweight, two contenders have earned an opportunity for a title shot. Firstly, Amir Aliakbari is riding a four-fight winning streak, all inside the distance, after defeating Arjan Bhullar by disqualification at ONE 166: Qatar.

Malykhin and Aliakbari have an intense rivalry after they fought in Sep. 2021 at ONE: Revolution. 'Sladkiy' showcased his dominance that night by knocking out the Iranian grappler in round one.

Meanwhile, 'Reug Reug' Oumar Kane is coming off an impressive unanimous decision win against Marcus 'Buchecha' Almeida in Aug. 2023. The Senegalese grappler is coming off three consecutive victories, making him a solid option to face Malykhin next.