"Go Bigdash!" - Fans enjoy Vitaly Bigdash putting in hard work before ONE 159 title bid

Vitaly Bigdash punched his ticket to a showdown with reigning middleweight champion Reinier de Ridder after an impressive performance against Aung La N Sang in February. The Russian will now attempt to recapture gold at ONE 159 on July 22 when he meets the undefeated 'Dutch Knight' in the ONE circle.

ONE Championship recently posted a video on their Instagram account of Bigdash putting in some work ahead of their world title clash.

"Light work for Vitaly Bigdash. The towering Russian challenges two-division ONE World Champion Reinier de Ridder for the middleweight throne on 22 July at ONE 159!"

Some fans on Instagram shared their appreciation for Bigdash's dedication and showed support for him in his upcoming title bid. One fan simply said:

"Go Bigdash!"

Another fan compared Bigdash to the popular television superhero, The Green Arrow:

"My god ! He look like Stephen Amell ( actor in Green Arrow)"

Bigdash earned his opportunity to face Reinier de Ridder after three straight victories in the ONE circle. After back-to-back finishes against Yuki Niimura and Ron Fan, Bigdash entered into a trilogy bout with rival Aung La N Sang.

With their series at 1-1, the two squared off in a rubber match in February at ONE: Full Circle. Bigdash scored a unanimous decision win to take the series and secure a title opportunity.

---

Vitaly Bigdash trained with Fedor Emelianenko

When Vitaly Bigdash steps into the circle with Reinier de Ridder, he'll take with him the experience and knowledge gained from training with MMA heavyweight icon Fedor Emelianenko.

While speaking to ONE Championship, Bigdash spoke about training with 'The Last Emperor' earlier this year.

“People tend to know each other in the MMA world. I knew guys from his camp and they invited me to train. When I saw Fedor for the first time there it was buzzing – he has been an authority in the world of martial arts since I was a kid, it was such an incredible feeling to be at his camp, to train with him, to learn from him.”

Certainly any knowledge gained from Emilianenko will help Bigdash in his title fight with 'The Dutch Knight' at ONE 159 in July. Will Bigdash climb back to the top of the mountain or will Reinier de Ridder's skills be too much for the Russian to overcome? We'll find out next month.