Anatoly Malykhin Praises Reinier De Ridder’s Performance After Defeating Bo Nickal

Former three-division ONE Championship champion Anatoly Malykhin expressed his praise for Reinier de Ridder after the Dutch fighter secured a second-round KO victory over Bo Nickal at UFC Des Moines.

De Ridder’s Dominant Performance in UFC

De Ridder, who previously held both the light heavyweight and middleweight titles in ONE Championship, proved his quality on the UFC stage with a dominant performance. His victory over Nickal displayed his exceptional skills, further cementing his reputation as a top-tier fighter.

Malykhin’s Opinion on Nickal and De Ridder

“You know what I’m going to say, who is Bo Nickal really? He fought against a former two-division ONE Championship champion, against a fighter who has finished serious opponents,” said Malykhin in an interview with LowKickMMA.

“Bo is just an overhyped fighter. Reinier de Ridder is a true champion. I didn’t give Bo any chance at all and was confident De Ridder could beat him easily,” he added.

Malykhin’s Legacy and Rivalry with De Ridder

Anatoly Malykhin remains the only fighter to have defeated De Ridder in his MMA career, and he also claimed both championship belts that De Ridder held in ONE Championship. This victory over Nickal has sparked renewed discussions about De Ridder’s future in combat sports.