Triple division king Anatoly Malykhin has made his thoughts known. On Saturday night, Reider de Ridder finished Bo Nickal in the 2nd round. The win propels him to the top of the Middleweight division. Prior to his UFC Stint, Reiner de Ridder was a two-weight class Champion, but his belts were taken off him by his biggest rival, Anatoly Malykhin.
Anatoly Malykhin
Malykhin defeated de Ridder twice, taking his Light-Heavyweight and Heavyweight titles under the ONE Championship banner. He is the only fighter who has defeated de Ridder in MMA. Malykhin had a lot to say following his win:
“You know what I’ll say, who is Bo Nickal, really? He stepped in there against a two-division ONE champion, against a guy who’s finished some very serious opponents. Bo is just a hyped-up fighter. Reinier de Ridder is a real champion. I gave Bo zero chance and was sure de Ridder would handle him easily. I’d say this: Reinier de Ridder is a fighter who can become champion in any league. He’s a serious threat in any division. But when you see de Ridder winning belts, just remember that Anatoly Malykhin already dealt with him. And dominated him.”
Malykhin also made an Instagram post, calling de Ridder a “proper krasavchik.” Which means “Well done, Champ”.
Reiner de Ridder
Reiner de Ridder became the first man to defeat Bo Nickal in MMA. He finished the fight with a brutal knee to the ribs. What is next for de Ridder? He called out “America’s best striker”, Sean Strickland. A matchup with the former Champ could serve as a #1 contender fight, with Dricus Du Plessis likely facing Khamzat Chimaev next.
