Reinier de Ridder lists ‘dangerous’ Anatoly Malykhin’s primary weapon: “He has a very strong right hand”

Reinier de Ridder admitted after the first loss of his career that his opponent caught him off guard with just how much his striking had improved.

At ONE on Prime Video 5, ‘The Dutch Knight’ suffered the first loss of his career when he was finished by Anatoly Malykhin in the opening round.

The striking and speed of the undefeated Russian led to a devastating knockout that saw Reinier de Ridder lose his light heavyweight title.

At ONE 166: Qatar on March 1 at the Lusail Sports Arena, the two men are set to run it back, this time with de Ridder’s middleweight title on the line.

The defending champion broke down his opponent’s most dangerous weapons during a recent interview with InTheCage, where he specifically highlighted Malykhin’s right hand:

“He’s a very explosive and dangerous guy, it’s just that. That’s what he is, he has a very strong right hand, and a huge right and left hook but his strength is in his right hand, right direct, right overhand, which is the most dangerous. He also knows how to work the body really well.”

Watch the full interview below:

Reinier de Ridder will not make the same mistakes twice

Having fallen to the power of Anatoly Malykhin once before, Reinier de Ridder will not make the same mistakes the second time around.

‘The Dutch Knight’ is out for redemption at ONE 166 but he still knows that his opponent has the speed and power to cause him a lot of problems on the feet.

The difference this time around is that there will be no factor of underestimation when they meet again and the middleweight MMA king is confident that he can make the right adjustments to ensure victory.

He will look to defend his crown and get some revenge but he cannot afford to play into Malykhin’s hands too much by striking with the Russian.

ONE 166: Qatar will air live and free via Prime Video for North American viewers with an active subscription on March 1.