Read about Fabricio Andrade’s thoughts on the main event of ONE 166: Qatar and Reinier de Ridder’s impressive performance. Despite losing his belt, de Ridder stood his ground against a formidable opponent.
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Fabricio Andrade, the ONE bantamweight MMA world champion, shared his thoughts on the main event of ONE 166: Qatar. He praised Reinier de Ridder’s improved striking skills but acknowledged that Malykhin’s power and pressure were too much for de Ridder to handle. Despite losing his belt, de Ridder should be proud of his performance as he became the first man to truly challenge Malykhin on the feet.
Fabricio Andrade Impressed by Reinier de Ridder’s Performance
Fabricio Andrade, the ONE bantamweight MMA world champion, recently shared his thoughts on the main event of ONE 166 : Qatar. The fight between Anatoly Malykhin and Reinier de Ridder for the ONE middleweight MMA world title showcased de Ridder’s improved striking skills.
In their previous encounter, Malykhin knocked out de Ridder for the light-heavyweight strap. However, this time, de Ridder showed significant improvement in his striking, impressing Andrade and others.
While de Ridder is known for his grappling skills, he caused problems for his heavy-handed opponent on the feet. He even managed to knock him down momentarily in the first round. But Malykhin’s power and pressure proved to be too much for de Ridder to handle. In the early minutes of the first round, de Ridder succumbed to damage and exhaustion, making Malykhin the winner and the first-ever simultaneous three-division MMA world champion.
Reinier de Ridder Proud of Performance
Despite losing his belt via TKO, Reinier de Ridder was proud of his performance against Anatoly Malykhin at ONE 166 . He became the first man to truly challenge Malykhin on the feet.
In an Instagram post, de Ridder shared photos highlighting his best moments in the fight. His stepping knee strikes and straight punches halted Malykhin’s forward momentum. De Ridder lasted longer in the Circle against Malykhin than most fighters.
Regardless of the outcome, de Ridder put on a great fight and stood his ground against one of the most formidable strikers in MMA today. He should be proud of himself.
