Doha, Qatar: For ONE Middleweight MMA World Champion Reinier de Ridder, the echoes of his most heartbreaking defeat have lingered long enough.
With a steely determination to reclaim his lost glory, he is on a mission to rewrite the narrative and avenge the painful loss that altered the trajectory of his professional career.
His chance for redemption comes in the form of a highly anticipated rematch against the man responsible for it - Anatoly Malykhin.
The two warriors will run it back for De Ridder’s ONE Middleweight MMA World Title, an epic battle that headlines ONE 166: Qatar, which emanates live from the state-of-the-art Lusail Sports Arena on Friday, March 1. These two mixed martial artists first met in December 2022 when De Ridder was riding high as a confident, undefeated two-division ONE World Champion.
However, what seemed like another routine victory for “The Dutch Knight” turned into a nightmare. There, Malykhin delivered a brutal knockout, shattering De Ridder’s aura of invincibility and claiming the ONE Light Heavyweight MMA World Title in less than a single round.
As De Ridder gears up for the second showdown, he reflects on the mindset he carried into the first clash. Despite being aware of the Russian’s signature knockout power, he still underestimated him and paid dearly.
“I made a mistake. I wasn't myself. I dropped the ball, and I’m looking to make good on this one,” he said.
“I kind of lost track of what makes me great. I got away from putting in the time as much, developing every little small area of my game.”
It was a mistake that he is determined not to repeat, and the lessons learned from that harrowing juncture have reshaped his approach to mixed martial arts.
“I've really looked inward a lot over the last year. I've really tried to make some changes in the way I approach the fight, the way I view myself as a fighter,” the 33-year-old shared.
Surprisingly, despite the painful setback, De Ridder harbors no personal grudge toward Malykhin.
Instead, the Dutchman exudes a sense of humility. The middleweight king acknowledges the mistakes he previously committed, and he is using that as motivation to even the score at ONE 166.
“I’m very happy that it’s Malykhin again. Very happy that it’s a chance to redeem myself, which is the most important thing,” he stated. “It’s about me getting back on this last fight. It’s about me redeeming myself. It’s about redemption.”
Fans can purchase tickets for ONE 166: Qatar at Virgin Megastore or Q-Ticket!
