Two-division ONE world champion Reinier De Ridder has been calling for his shot against the promotion’s top two heavyweight stars for some time now, and his request appears to have been, somewhat, answered.
Though the Dutch dynamo had been hoping for a shot at the divisional crown, he will instead get a chance to defend his ONE light heavyweight title against interim heavyweight king Anatoly Malykhin at ONE on Prime Video 5 on Dec. 2.
ONE Championship made the announcement on their social media platforms on Tuesday with the Singapore-based organization hoping to close out its year of events in the biggest way it possibly can.
De Ridder has been nothing short of dominant since arriving in ONE. He has seven consecutive victories inside the Circle to his name, which has brought his overall record to a jaw-dropping 16-0. The two-division king is coming off a defense of his ONE middleweight championship against Vitaly Bigdash in July – his third outing this year.
His grappling will be put to the test against the Malykhin, however.
The Russian star is on a unbeaten 11-0 run himself and has also been a force since joining ONE. Malykhin has shown power with crushing knockouts in his three visits to the Circle, and he claimed the interim ONE heavyweight championship against Kirill Grishenko in his last appearance in February.
While his power is undeniable, his wrestling is not to be slept on either. Grappling will, undoubtedly, play a huge factor in how this match plays out, as De Ridder’s jiu-jitsu has been off the charts so far.
This outstanding main event collision will put both superstars to the test in one of the year’s most fascinating matchups.
ONE on Prime Video 5 will air live on Friday, Dec. 2, from the Mall of Asia Arena in Manila.