Vitaly Bigdash: Destined to reclaim middleweight gold, or just another Reinier de Ridder victim?

Vitaly Bigdash is nearing the end of his five-year quest to be a ONE world champion once again. On Friday, the Russian juggernaut steps into the circle against his toughest opponent yet — the undefeated Reinier de Ridder — with the promotion’s middleweight world title up for grabs.

‘The Dutch Knight’ enters the bout favored by fans and fellow fighters to come out on top, but it would be foolish for him to look past Bigdash, who poses a very serious threat to de Ridder’s legacy.

Vitaly Bigdash is one of the toughest competitors under the ONE banner, as evidenced by his epic comeback against Igor Svirid at ONE: Tigers of Asia. The promotion recently took a look back at the incredible win on Instagram, sharing highlights of Bigdash’s big victory.

“Vitaly Bigdash finishes what he starts 😱 Can he submit two-division king Reinier de Ridder and claim the middleweight strap TOMORROW at ONE 159? 🤔 @vitaly_bigdash”

In that contest, Bigdash showed that he is one of the more well-rounded fighters in ONE Championship. With the Russian's never-say-die attitude and a chin of steel, de Ridder may be in for a long night.

Of course, taking punishment is not all Bigdash excels at. He is just as proficient on the feet as he is on the mat. In addition to his knockout win over Svirid, Bigdash also holds back-to-back submission victories over Yuki Niimura and Fan Rong. If given a opening, Bigdash is more than capable of putting his opponent's lights out.

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Vitaly Bigdash versus Reinier de Ridder is closer than you think

While most fighters who have opined on the ONE 159 main event are predicting ‘The Dutch Knight’ to walk away with his world title and an unblemished record, the fight is much closer than you’d think.

A win for Vitaly Bigdash would certainly be seen as a massive upset considering where the general consensus stands, but the Russian challenger has a fair chance at reclaiming gold and handing Reinier de Ridder his first professional loss.

In the stand-up department, Bigdash has a clear advantage. As witnessed in the past, de Ridder tends to back pedal when under pressure, negating his dangerous grappling skills. This will surely be a strategy for Bigdash, but should de Ridder succeed at getting it to the ground, the Russian behemoth is more than capable of defending himself and transitioning from defense to offense on the canvas.

There are a lot of variables to consider, but one thing that is certain is this: fans are in for a treat when de Ridder and Bigdash clash in the center of the Circle.