Reinier de Ridder gunning for unprecedented triple gold glory after ONE 159

Reinier de Ridder is scheduled to defend one of his two world championships, but that doesn’t mean ‘The Dutch Knight’ isn’t looking at adding a third piece of gold to his collection.

The two-division world champion made it known that he has the ONE heavyweight world championship in his sights. If he takes care of business with ONE middleweight world title challenger Vitaly Bigdash at ONE 159 on July 22nd, de Ridder could attempt to add another title to his name by defeating Arjan Bhullar or Anatoly Malykhin.

On the ONE Championship Instagram, the promotion shared a video clip featuring some of De Ridder’s finest work in the ONE circle, adding a message for the heavyweight division’s elite.

“Two-division ONE World Champion Reinier de Ridder is looking for that THIRD BELT. Don't miss his ONE Middleweight World Title defense against Vitaly Bigdash on July 22 at ONE 159!”

Since his ONE Championship debut in 2019, Reinier de Ridder has been running roughshod over any fighter that stands across from him inside the circle.

Following back-to-back wins over Aung La Nsang to capture the ONE middleweight and light heavyweight world titles and a successful middleweight defense against Kiamrian Abbasov last February, ‘The Dutch Knight’ has extended his mixed martial arts record to an impressive 15-0.

On July 22nd, former ONE middleweight world champion Vitaly Bigdash will try to dethrone de Ridder when the two meet in a highly anticipated main event clash.

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Reinier de Ridder is confident about his showdown with Vitaly Bigdash at ONE 159

When Reinier de Ridder steps into the circle on July 22nd, he meets Russian grappler Vitaly Bigdash. A former ONE middleweight world champion himself, Bigdash could be the biggest challenge yet for ‘The Dutch Knight’.

Speaking to ONE Championship, de Ridder was nothing short of confident when discussing his impending showdown with Bigdash.

“[Bigdash] takes his time, picks his shots. There are a lot of single shots on the feet, which is smart sometimes. His shots are pretty straight, pretty clean. But he’s predictable, and he gets tired very easily.”

De Ridder commented specifically on Bigdash’s cardio, believing that the fighter will likely gas himself out by the end of the second round and allowing ‘The Dutch Knight’ to score his 14th career finish.

“He’s going to be tired by the end of the first. And he is going to be done by the end of the second.”