“He wasn’t able to take me down” – Anatoly Malykhin on neutralizing Reinier de Ridder’s elite BJJ and wrestling skills

Anatoly Malykhin did the seemingly impossible and has now conquered three divisions in mixed martial arts, holding three golden belts simultaneously – the first man to ever accomplish this feat in history.

‘Sladkiy’ put together a monstrous performance against former middleweight king ‘The Dutch Knight’ Reinier de Ridder in the main event at ONE 166: Qatar, winning by third-round technical knockout to capture the ONE middleweight MMA world title.

The event took place at the Lusail Sports Arena in Lusail City last Friday, March 1. Fans in the United States and Canada can catch a replay of all the action on-demand with an active Amazon Prime Video subscription or on ONE Championship’s official YouTube channel.

Addressing the media at the official ONE 166: Qatar post-event press conference backstage, Malykhin put things into perspective, which makes his performance over De Ridder in two fights even more impressive.

‘Sladkiy’ said:

“Reinier de Ridder was 16-0. Every fight he was able to take down, take down, take down. In two fights with de Ridder, he wasn’t able to take me down. Zero. De Ridder’s one of the best of the best fighters, a crazy [good] fighter.”

It was an undoubtedly explosive performance from Malykhin, who is now the reigning and undisputed ONE heavyweight, light heavyweight and middleweight MMA world champion.

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What’s next for Anatoly Malykhin?

A well-deserved break is in order for the newly crowned three-division MMA world champion. Anatoly Malykhin says he will take his family on vacation for a little bit before addressing where he will take his career next.

If he does return soon, here’s to hoping Malykhin comes back as a middleweight, where there is a plethora of matchups to be had, including a potential showdown with ‘The Burmese Python’ Aung La N Sang.

Stay tuned to Sportskeeda MMA for all the news and updates surrounding Malykhin’s next fight.