Reinier de Ridder says Anatoly Malykhin beats Arjan Bhullar if he can ‘stop the takedowns’

Reinier de Ridder believes if ONE interim heavyweight world champion Anatoly Malykhin gets to stop the takedowns of reigning division king Arjan Bhullar in their unification bout later this month, he will be the undisputed ONE heavyweight world champion.

The two top heavyweight fighters will try to settle once at ONE Fight Night 8 on Prime Video on March 24 in Singapore.

Reinier de Ridder said Malykhin’s ability to stave off takedowns from noted wrestler Bhullar would make a huge difference much like what happened when he faced off with the Russian slugger last December.

“The Dutch Knight” tried to get the contest on the ground but “Sladkiy” was wise to his takedown attempts, which effectively messed up his game plan. He eventually bowed to Malykhin by knockout in the opening round and saw him lose the ONE light heavyweight world title.

Speaking to SCMP MMA, Reinier de Ridder said of the Bhullar-Malykhin showdown:

“It’s still an interesting one. Bhullar’s going to come in heavy with the wrestling pretty early on. That’s basically the thing. If Malykhin can stop the takedowns, he’s going to win.”

Watch the interview below:

In the event of a victory, Malykhin will become a full-fledged two-division ONE world champion while also extending his unbeaten run in ONE Championship.

Reinier de Ridder, who is the ONE middleweight world champion, returns to action in May at the promotion’s first-ever live show in the United States, taking on American Tye Ruotolo in a submission grappling match.

ONE Fight Night 8 will happen at the Singapore Indoor Stadium and will be aired live and for free to all Prime Video subscribers in North America.

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Reinier de Ridder admits Anatoly Malykhin greatly improved his striking for their fight

Dutch fighter Reinier de Ridder was impressed with the striking that Anatoly Malykhin showcased in their last fight, which made a huge difference.

The two met at ONE on Prime Video 5 in Manila back in December, where “The Dutch Knight” lost the ONE light heavyweight world title after bowing to the Russian powerhouse by knockout in the opening round.

Looking back at what took place in their collision, Reinier de Ridder said Malykhin was more precise in his striking, something he did not notice in his previous fights, particularly that against Belarusian Kirill Grishenko.

The reigning ONE middleweight world champion shared with SCMP MMA in an interview:

“Between his last fight before, the Belarusian guy I think, he was just wild punches, wild right hooks, wild left hooks, wild overhands. He was not that technical at all. In our [Malykhin] fight, he did amazing, to be honest. His footwork was very well and his in-and-out work was very good. He threw very strong straights. [They] were strong, sharp, and fast punches. He really developed a lot between his last two fights.”

Against Malykhin, Reinier de Ridder did not get the entry point he was angling for and instead saw “Sladkiy” get much headway. The match came to a halt when the referee stepped in at the 4:35 mark of the first round, with the Dutchman beaten down on the mat.