'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
The Arjan Bhullar–Anatoly Malykhin ONE heavyweight world championship unification bout is back on, and former two-division ONE world champion ‘The Dutch Knight’ Reinier de Ridder is excited to see how it all unfolds.
Bhullar and Malykhin have been on a collision course for the greater part of the last year, with the Indian-Canadian holding the true ONE heavyweight world title, while his Russian counterpart possesses the interim version of the belt.
Needless to say, it’s definitely an interesting matchup.
In a recent interview with The MMA Superfan, De Ridder spoke about the heavyweight fight, which is penciled in for ONE Fight Night 12 in July. ‘The Dutch Knight’ said:
Trending
Get the latest updates on One Championship Rankings at Sportskeeda and more
“Man, it’s a very interesting one because Bhullar has been out for so long. I don’t know how he’s been, training-wise. He’s a bit in-and-out and to be honest, I wasn’t sure he was ever coming back. But he is coming back and that’s very cool. It’s a very interesting match-up to see if Bhullar is able to take Malykhin down. It’s hard to say something because Bhullar has been out for so long. We haven’t seen him active.”
Check out the full interview below:
De Ridder does make some fair points. It’s hard to guess where Bhullar is at this stage in his career, having not fought since mid-2021 when he lifted the golden strap from former king Brandon ‘The Truth’ Vera. Meanwhile, Malykhin has been on an absolute tear, maintaining his unblemished record and even scoring a first-round knockout win over De Ridder himself.
But before the two heavyweights are locked in a cage together, De Ridder will see action.
Reinier de Ridder will go up against American BJJ phenom Tye Ruotolo in a middleweight submission grappling match at ONE Fight Night 10: Johnson vs. Moraes III on Prime Video.
The historic sold-out event broadcasts live from the 1stBank Center in Colorado on Friday, May 5, and will stream live and for free to fans in the United States and Canada via Amazon Prime.
