“There are a few factors I'm taking into account” - Reinier de Ridder already sees how he will take Anatoly Malykhin down

ONE double-champ Reinier de Ridder will be defending his light heavyweight throne for the first time at ONE on Prime Video 5. It will not be an easy world title defense as he will face fellow world champion interim ONE heavyweight king Anatoly 'Sladkiy' Malykhin. 'The Dutch Knight', known for his aggressive and overwhelming grappling assault, will have to figure out how to put the gargantuan Malykhin on his back.

It's a near-impossible task as the heavy-handed 'Sladkiy' has a wrestling background himself and can defend takedowns, but if anyone can do it, it's de Ridder.

In an interview with YouTube channel The MMA Superfan, 'The Dutch Knight' spoke about how he would drag the Russian knockout artist to his world:

"It's explosive like his striking but there's not a lot of chain wrestling going on. There are not a lot of special moves going on. He's short and stubby. He is low too, and his center of gravity is very low, which is interesting for my takedowns. They'll be heavier so that's interesting too in the takedown department. There are a few factors I'm taking into account on this one."

When it comes to takedowns and grappling advantages, a great grappler takes into account his opponent's body type and center of gravity. The closer their center of gravity is to the ground, the harder it is to take them down. Reinier de Ridder understands the predicament when it comes to the stocky Malykhin. We're eager to see what he'll pull out of his bag of tricks to deal with it.

Fans in North America can watch ONE on Prime Video 5 live and for free with an active subscription to Amazon Prime Video.

Watch the full interview here:

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Reinier de Ridder admits that Anatoly Malykhin poses an interesting matchup for him

Despite being confident ahead of his world title defense at ONE on Prime Video 5, Reinier de Ridder admits that the knockout artist in Malykhin is an interesting one. 'The Dutch Knight' respects the Russian's power but also knows that he himself is just as dangerous, albeit in a different aspect of the game.

In a separate interview with Morning Kombat on YouTube, de Ridder said:

"That’s the truth, man. But he [Malykhin] is an interesting matchup. He’s dangerous. He’s been knocking people out left and right. I’ve been strangling people unconscious left and right."

This world title bout is an iteration of the age-old "striker vs. grappler" affair. The outcome of the fight could be one of two directions: Malykhin knocking Reinier de Ridder unconscious or 'The Dutch Knight' putting 'Sladkiy' to sleep. We'll just have to wait and see.

Watch his interview with Morning Kombat here: