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Filipino legend Eduard Folayang says Reinier de Ridder, the ONE middleweight and light heavyweight world champion, will have a stark advantage over former middleweight king Vitaly Bigdash.
'The Dutch Knight' will make the second defense of his ONE middleweight world title against Bigdash in the main event of their namesake card ONE 159: De Ridder vs. Bigdash on Friday, July 22. The card is set to be broadcast live from the Singapore Indoor Stadium.
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In an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda, Folayang said de Ridder’s advantage in the grappling realm could spell the difference in the titanic middleweight clash in Singapore.
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Bigdash, however, won’t be a fish out of water against de Ridder. Folayang pointed out that the Russian brawler would have the advantage if the fight stays on the feet.
Eduard Folayang said:
“I think RDR has the advantage because of his reach and he’s always on the ground. But of course you can’t just let Bigdash not steal the show because we need to remember that Bigdash is the former middleweight world champion so he still has the motivation to get that belt back.”
He added:
“Knowing that Bigdash is also good in the ground and takedown. Although he has the advantage in the striking area, while RDR is better in the ground.”
Reinier de Ridder is arguably the top pound-for-pound fighter in the world right now having amassed on a perfect 6-0 record in ONE Championship. Of his six wins in the promotion, four were finishes.
‘The Dutch Knight’ is also one of the best submission grapplers in the sport, holding submission wins over the legendary Aung La N Sang and ONE welterweight world champion Kiamrian Abbasov.
Bigdash, meanwhile, is on a three-fight winning streak, having conquered Yuki Niimura, Fan Rong, and Aung La en route to his world title challenge.
Watch the interview below:
Eduard Folayang is hyped for ONE 159
Eduard Folayang, just like any other fight fan, is all kinds of excited for the titanic clash between Bigdash and de Ridder.
The former ONE lightweight world champion said he’s looking forward to fidning out who can solve the fighting style that de Ridder has always presented in his matches.
In an interview with Manila Bulletin, Folayang said that no fighter has solved de Ridder’s ground game, but he expects Bigdash to push the fight on the feet.
“If Bigdash keeps this fight on the feet, he’ll get the advantage. He has great striking, so if he can keep it there, he’ll have a good chance to win. On the ground, he’s no pushover as well – although de Ridder is definitely more technical when it comes to the ground.”
