Reinier de Ridder prefers if opponents tap out rather than he put them to sleep 

When you’re locked inside the circle with Reinier de Ridder, you typically have two options: tap or nap.

With submission victories over names like Aung La N Sang and Kiamrian Abbasov, ‘The Dutch Knight’ delivered perhaps his most impressive when he put away former middleweight world champion Vitaly Bigdash at ONE 159.

During a grappling exchange in the first round, de Ridder caught Bigdash in an inverted triangle choke. The Russian challenger did his best to survive, but in the end, he passed out, forcing the referee to step in and stop the bout at the 3:29 mark.

In an interview with Morning Kombat, ‘The Dutch Knight’ was asked whether he prefers to put his opponents to sleep or force them to tap out. De Ridder said:

“It’s better if they tap, because then they really say, ‘I don’t want to be in there anymore. I want to give up. I want to get out of there. I don’t want to be in the cage with Reinier anymore.’ That’s the best feeling. But putting them to sleep is alright as well.”

Reinier de Ridder will attempt another big submission win in less than a week when he meets ONE interim heavyweight champion Anatoly Malykhin. The two world champions will battle it out in the ONE on Prime Video 5 main event on December 2.

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Reinier de Ridder stays one step ahead of his opponents

When it comes to grappling, few are better than Reinier de Ridder inside the circle. Undefeated in his mixed martial arts career, ‘The Dutch Knight’ has an incredible 12 submission victories in 16 total wins.

For de Ridder, the key to success is staying one step ahead of his opponents and always keeping them in danger:

"The confidence just came through the years of training and being successful everytime I fight. But I think, in the transitions is where I really shine. When I take them down, I’m already thinking of the next step. I’m already halfway on a neck or halfway on an arm. And they’re always in danger."

‘The Dutch Knight’ will face perhaps his toughest task yet when he meets Anatoly Malykhin, an undefeated Russian striker with seven knockouts and a 100% finish rate in ONE Championship.

If Malykhin can fend off the relentless takedowns and grappling game of Reinier de Ridder, he could hand the Dutchman his first defeat with his undeniable knockout power.

You can watch Reinier de Ridder defend his ONE light heavyweight championship against Anatoly Malykhin live and for free on Amazon Prime Video in North America with an active subscription.