Lions Nation break down Anatoly Malykhin vs. Reinier de Ridder II

The excitement is building up within the Lions Nation MMA team as Joshua Pacio begins his quest to reclaim the ONE Strawweight MMA World Championship.

This happens at ONE 166: Qatar on Friday, March 1, where Pacio runs it back with American rival Jarred Brooks.

However, the anticipation doesn’t end there. Eduard Folayang, Kevin Belingon, and Jeremy Pacatiw are equally intrigued by another epic rematch set to unfold on the same card at the Lusail Sports Arena.

Anatoly Malykhin and Reinier de Ridder go head-to-head once again in the evening’s headliner, with the latter’s ONE Middleweight MMA World Title on the line.

Both men first crossed paths in December 2022. There, Malykhin scored a brutal knockout to snatch the ONE Light Heavyweight MMA World Title from De Ridder.

Folayang isn’t convinced that De Ridder has fully recovered from the beatdown he endured at the hands of the Russian powerhouse.

“De Ridder has not been the same since the first fight. Mentally, it may have affected him. This is a challenge that De Ridder has to overcome in order for him to get his redemption,” he said.

For Belingon, he hopes to see key adjustments on De Ridder’s part. Especially in his strategy to land takedowns in the bout.

“If De Ridder modifies how he executes his takedowns, unlike in their previous fight, I believe he will win via submission. Malykhin comfortably defended those shots coming from him in their first bout because the takedown was executed in a judo-style manner,” the former ONE Bantamweight MMA World Champion said.

“In my opinion, it would be more effective if he applied a single or double-leg takedown.”

Pacatiw aligns with Belingon’s perspective, suggesting that “The Dutch Knight” must employ an unpredictable plan of attack.

“De Ridder should not concentrate on a single attack. He has to strike and shoot for takedowns. His main goal here is to land a clean takedown. If he can accomplish that and put Malykhin on the ground, he can win via submission, possibly with a rear-naked choke,” the Filipino ace said.

All three Lions Nation MMA members favor Anatoly Malykhin to win

Eduard Folayang, Kevin Belingon, and Jeremy Pacatiw are in unanimous agreement that Anatoly Malykhin will replicate his destructive performance.

For Folayang and Belingon, the second encounter seems likely to follow the same script as the first.

“My prediction for this fight is Anatoly Malykhin winning by TKO in the second or third round,” the former ONE Lightweight MMA World Champion said.

“If De Ridder’s approach remains the same, Malykhin will undoubtedly win again by knockout,” Belingon agreed.

Malykhin, who currently holds both the ONE Heavyweight and Light Heavyweight World Titles, is eyeing history at ONE 166: Qatar.

If he emerges victorious against Reinier De Ridder, Malykhin will become the first simultaneous three-division MMA World Champion.

This ambitious goal requires “Sladkiy” to move down to middleweight for the first time, presenting a unique challenge.

Pacatiw feels that if Malykhin can maintain his punching power at 205 pounds, it spells bad news for De Ridder.

“If Malykhin can maintain his power despite dropping down to middleweight, that’s a big factor in the fight. With his knockout power and cardio intact, I believe he will win by knockout again,” he said.