Reinier de Ridder defends the ONE middleweight world title against Vitaly Bigdash at ONE 159 on July 22nd

Reinier de Ridder vs. Vitaly Bigdash is officially booked. De Ridder, is set to defend the ONE middleweight world title against former middleweight champion, Vitaly Bigdash at ONE 159 on July 22, 2022.

BigSports Illustrated confirmed today with the caption:

"🚨 BREAKING NEWS 🚨 Reinier de Ridder defends the ONE Middleweight World Title against Vitaly Bigdash at ONE 159 on 22 July! @deriddermma @vitaly_bigdash#ONE159 | 22 July"

Check out the Instagram post below:

The undefeated and two-division champion, Reinier de Ridder (15-0-0), and former ONE middleweight champion, Vitaly Bigdash (12-2-0), have never crossed paths until now.

Vitaly Bigdash reposted the news on Instagram with the caption:

"Surprise surprise Matherfu…rs 😡😎"

Reinier de Reinier has been vocal before about challenging ONE heavyweight champion Arjan Bhullar, but it looks like the matchup is back on the shelves.

Officially booked, MMA enthusiasts are taking to social media to express their excitement for the long-awaited title bout between the two middleweight giants.

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Reinier de Ridder looks unstoppable leading up to ONE 159

Reinier De Ridder looks unstoppable leading up to ONE 159, as 'The Dutch Knight' has a perfect MMA record of 15-0-0. De Ridder is coming off a dominant run, recently defending his middleweight belt against current welterweight champ, Kiamrian Abbasov (23-4-0).

In February 2022 at ONE: Full Circle in Singapore, De Ridder defeated Abbasov via submission with an arm-triangle choke.

Reinier de Ridder has defeated every opponent given to him since the genesis of his pro mma career. And, he's never one to take back on his word. While everyone predicted a loss against Kiamrian, de Ridder didn't waver. He memorably said in an interview with South China Morning Post:

“I think I’m superior in every aspect. My boxing is better. My kicking game is better. My wrestling is definitely better. My jiu- jitsu is on point. I think I’ll dominate him from start to finish.”

He continued with:

“I’m not underestimating him at all. He moves well, he’s got fast hands, he’s a dangerous opponent. But I will finish him.”

This time, he will be put to the test with another dangerous competitor.

Number one contender Vitaly Bigdash (12-2-0) returns to the circle hoping to reposses the middleweight strap. The challenger is coming off a decision-win against the Burmese legend, Aung La N Sang - dramatically ending their epic trilogy at ONE: Full Circle.

The two martial artists match up stylistically, which makes for an exciting title fight. Combined, they will put their striking, wrestling, and submission skills to the test. Ultimately, the fight comes down to who will outstrike or out-grapple the other. The five-round bout could go either way. Reinier de Ridder vs. Vitaly Bigdash at ONE 159 is a guaranteed banger!