Triple-champ Anatoly Malykhin admits Reinier de Ridder “became more dangerous and sharper” in their Qatar showdown

It’s rare for Anatoly Malykhin to face any adversity in his fights, but he was on the receiving end of some nasty offense in his last outing.

The Russian superstar set out for a historic third world title when he challenged Reinier de Ridder for the ONE middleweight MMA world championship at ONE 166.

Although Malykhin already dominated de Ridder for the ONE light heavyweight MMA world title in December 2022, their match in Qatar was far from one-sided.

De Ridder, a natural grappler, found the most success when he exchanged with Malykhin on the feet and even dropped ‘Sladkiy’ in the first round.

In an interview with ONE Championship, Anatoly Malykhin expressed his admiration for the vast improvement de Ridder displayed in their second meeting.

The ONE middleweight MMA, light heavyweight, and heavyweight MMA world champion said:

“This was a different Reinier to the one who weighed 102 kilos [225 pounds]. He was very strong and very motivated [at 205 pounds]. He improved his punching technique and became more dangerous and sharper.”

The 6-foot-4 de Ridder also put Malykhin at bay with constant push kicks, but things ultimately went the Russian’s way in the third.

Malykhin, who has a five-inch height disadvantage, relentlessly poured the pressure down de Ridder’s way and eventually captured the technical knockout win.

ONE 166 was a historic night for Malykhin as he added the ONE middleweight MMA world title to his collection to become the first three-division world champion in ONE Championship history.

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Anatoly Malykhin says rivalry with Reinier de Ridder is far from over

Even though he’s already up 2-0 in their head-to-head meetings, Anatoly Malykhin believes his series against Reinier de Ridder is far from over.

In the same interview, Malykhin said de Ridder has all the right in the world to challenge for the world titles he previously owned.

De Ridder once held the ONE middleweight and light heavyweight MMA world titles, but those belts are now under Malykhin’s custody:

“I think he’s a solid fighter. He still deserves another chance, but first, he needs to do two fights and get on a winning streak. And I need a heavyweight fight, then one at light heavyweight, and then I’m ready for a middleweight trilogy. This feud is not over.”