"He must have dreamed that takedown" - Anatoly Malykhin certain he wouldn't have fallen prey to Reinier de Ridder's grappling
Newly minted three-division MMA world champion Anatoly Malykhin remains sure that Reinier de Ridder's extensive ground game wouldn't have stood a chance against him during their rematch at ONE 166: Qatar.
Before the two renewed their rivalry inside the Lusail Sports Arena on March 1, 'The Dutch Knight' shared a theory that he could see off the unbeaten Russian on the canvas on the promotion's debut show in the country.
'Sladkiy' responded by claiming that the Breda native could only achieve it in his dreams.
Now, after becoming the first fighter to hand the Dutchman back-to-back defeats, Anatoly Malykhin reiterated his pre-match comments during an exclusive interview with Morning Kombat.
The 36-year-old shared:
"So probably, he saw him taking me down probably in his dream. He must have dreamed that takedown. Definitely [wouldn't happen] in real life."
Watch the full interview here:
While de Ridder failed to live up to his words during their rematch, the Golden Team star exuded confidence and belief in his abilities from the sound of the bell.
Though Malykhin had to overcome a recharged de Ridder, there was never any doubt about his abilities to close out the show with another highlight-reel finish as the match progressed into the third stanza.
Despite another crushing win, Anatoly Malykhin maintains respect for de Ridder
Anatoly Malykhin may still be enjoying his historic feat from an eventul night in Qatar, but MMA's first three-division world champion always gives credit where its due.
After powering his way past succesive wins over the Breda native, the first coming at ONE on Prime Video 5 in December 2022, 'Sladkiy' still maintains respect to the former two-division king, describing him as one of the very best in the sport today.
During the ONE 166: Qatar post-event press conference, the Russian star said:
"For me, he deserves everything in the world. He has been nothing but an elite athlete. He deserves respect, and I hope he truly gets all the respect after tonight [for the way he fought]."
North American fans with an active Amazon Prime Video subscription can relive the entire card via replay for free.