Reinier de Ridder says Anatoly Malykhin’s dedication to his game as ‘a big feather on his cap’

Despite their rivalry, Reinier de Ridder holds Anatoly Malykhin in high regard.

The Breda native, who lost his double champ status to the undefeated Russian beast in December last year, believes his opposite number deserves his place as the light heavyweight and heavyweight king.

Having tasted success in two divisions before being annihilated by ‘Sladkiy’ in the main event of ONE on Prime Video 5, ‘The Dutch Knight’ knows it's not easy to stay at the top of the game in the constantly evolving sport.

And judging by Malykhin’s dominance over the past year, he’s pretty certain the backbone of the Golden Team representative’s success is his dedication.

In an interview with South China Morning Post, Reinier de Ridder said:

“That was the most dangerous thing he did too. So that showed me he's dedicated to his craft. He's really game-planning. He's really working to improve his punches so that's a big feather on his cap.”

The Dutchman’s perfect 16-0 record was taken away from him when he put his light heavyweight gold on the line against Malykhin in Manila, Philippines. While many expected him to defend his gold, ‘Sladkiy’s’ power proved to be too much for him inside the opening round.

Reinier de Ridder hopes to make a winning return when he is scheduled to fight next. Malykhin, on the other hand, has enjoyed a solid start to 2023, unifying the heavyweight gold against Arjan Bhullar at ONE Friday Fights 22 last month.

The entire card can be watched via replay on ONE Championship’s YouTube channel.