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History is about to be made in the main event of ONE 166.
Two-division world champion Anatoly Malykhin embarks on an unprecedented journey as he attempts to take the ONE middleweight MMA world title from old rival Reinier de Ridder.
Malykhin, who already holds the ONE light heavyweight and heavyweight MMA world titles, could become the first fighter in ONE Championship history to simultaneously carry three world titles.
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De Ridder, however, is on a mission to stop Malykhin’s onslaught and take revenge against the man who took the ONE light heavyweight MMA world championship from him.
Before this epic encounter transpires this Friday at Lusail Sports Arena in Qatar, Sportskeeda MMA’s ONE Championship team put together their unbiased opinion on what could happen in the match.
ONE 166 is ONE Championship’s first on-site event in Qatar and is available live and free to all Prime Video subscribers in the United States and Canada.
James de Rozario: Anatoly Malykhin by first-round KO
Depending on how this rematch goes, this barnburner fight at middleweight could either be a Fight of the Year, Knockout of the Year, or a Submission of the Year candidate.
Both Reinier de Ridder and Anatoly Malykhin are armed with the confidence to leave the Lusail Sports Arena with a majestic win, and if they live up to their word, it could all come down to one small window of opportunity.
Though many believe Anatoly Malykhin will have his work cut out at middleweight, almost 60 pounds off his usual competition weight, I dare say otherwise.
His flair in the stand-up department seems to be at its most potent. There’s that dangerous mix of speed and power brewing, and I see him lighting up ‘The Dutch Knight’ whenever the opportunity arises.
Meanwhile, having tasted Malykhin’s monstrous power a couple of years back, Reinier de Ridder will have done his homework to set up his takedowns with more feints and precisions. If he does exactly that, there’s every reason to believe the grappling wizard from Breda can draw a tap from ‘Sladkiy’ and ruin his dream of three-division dominance.
That said, I do not envision the latter happening.
Carrying much lighter baggage on him, I expect Malykhin’s speed to help him effortlessly deprive de Ridder of an opportunity to take matters to the ground. He’d run through the Dutchman early, swinging with meat hooks or a counter knee when de Ridder decides to switch levels.
From there, my money’s on Malykhin to see off the tie, potentially as early as round one.
Mike Murillo: Reinier de Ridder by third-round submission
When these two big fighters first collided back in December 2022, we did not get to see much action, particularly from Reinier de Ridder, as he was overwhelmed by the knockout power of Anatoly Malykhin.
This time around, I expect this showdown to be more competitive as it is going to be in the middleweight lane where ‘The Dutch Knight’ has been solid. From that point, I see de Ridder winning the contest by submission in the third round.
I pick de Ridder as I expect him to be in his element in the rematch far more than he was in his first showdown with Malykhin.
‘Sladkiy’ will continue to be a handful and dangerous with his KO power, although the fight is going to be in middleweight, but I see de Ridder handling it better and having more inroads to claim the win.
So much is at stake with this fight, and fans of every form and shape should take heed.
Ted Razon: Anatoly Malykhin by second-round TKO
A lot of factors will come into play in this epic rematch between Anatoly Malykhin and Reinier de Ridder. It’s easy to side with the Russian given how easily he knocked out ‘RDR’ the last time they shared the circle together.
Then again, this one’s going to be contested at middleweight, where Malykhin will be competing for the first time in his career. Props to the double champion for meeting the demands of the scales but the jury is still out if it will play a factor in this matchup.
For sure, the cerebral de Ridder already has that in mind and would time his takedowns better this time around. I expect ‘The Dutch Knight’ to use better movement by circling away from Malykhin’s nuclear right hand early on.
The middleweight MMA world champion should also utilize his kicking game more, in a bid to bait Malykhin to shoot for a takedown.
The longer he can draw this fight out, the better his chances will be. Of course, avoiding ‘Sladkiy’s' power shots is going to be easier said than done.
If all else fails, I see de Ridder pulling guard from the clinch and slowing the fight down on his own terms. He might even catch Malykhin with some submission holds, but the Russian’s underrated grappling should come into play.
I see him bypassing ‘RDR’s' guard through some heavy ground-and-pound. At the end of the day, the difference when it comes to sheer power will once again decide the outcome of this match.
Malykhin’s finishing abilities will shine through even if de Ridder somehow turns this into a ground battle. I expect Malykhin to be a historic three-division MMA world champion by night’s end.
Vince Richards: Reinier de Ridder by second-round submission
Reinier de Ridder has learned his mistakes, and he’s ready to rectify them in Qatar.
The reigning ONE middleweight MMA world champion is at his natural weight class and will stop at nothing to get his revenge against Anatoly Malykhin.
After a beaming bravado cost him the ONE light heavyweight MMA world championship in their first meeting, de Ridder will be wise to change up his game plan and use Malykhin’s strength to his advantage.
Malykhin does look leaner and meaner at middleweight, but the 205-pound division is de Ridder’s domain.
It would be intriguing to see if Malykhin brought his insane power from heavyweight down to middleweight, but de Ridder has all the tools to negate whatever ‘Sladkiy’ brings to Qatar.
A lengthy 6-foot-4, de Ridder should use his kickboxing to keep Malykhin at bay and also drain the energy out of the Russian juggernaut.
De Ridder should take a methodical approach against a marauding presence such as Malykhin, and his distance striking in the first round should do the trick.
‘The Dutch Knight’ should create a pattern of careful striking combinations to try and bait Malykhin on the feet, but he should also change his approach by the time the second round opens.
De Ridder is a master submission artist, and he could rely on that BJJ to drag Malykhin to the ground where he could unleash his lethal arsenal. Malykhin may be powerful on the feet, but de Ridder has the advantage once this fight gets to the canvas.
I see de Ridder taking this one by submission in the second round, but he must be defensively and technically sound to avoid Malykhin’s wild lunges.
