Anatoly Malykhin Shocks Reinier de Ridder with Stunning TKO Finish to Capture ONE Light Heavyweight World Title
ONE Championship (ONE) made a triumphant return to the Mall of Asia Arena with ONE on Prime Video 5: De Ridder vs. Malykhin. The event featured a series of compelling matchups, headlined by a pair of exciting World Title fights.
ONE Championship, in partnership with leading premium lifestyle and luxury performance brand TUMI, presented the prestigious ONE World Title belt to the World Champions.
In the main event, undefeated ONE Interim Heavyweight World Champion Anatoly Malykhin destroyed two-division ONE World Champion Reinier de Ridder to capture the ONE Light Heavyweight World Title, winning via knockout in the first round and handing “The Dutch Knight” the first loss of his professional career.
Malykhin made his speed and power known early, as he punished De Ridder with thunderous right hooks and crushing body shots. “The Dutch Knight” tried his best to close the distance so he could utilize his signature body lock, but the Russian’s takedown defense was on point. Malykhin’s wrestling prevented De Ridder from taking the action to the mat, as the light heavyweight king was forced to trade strikes.
In the final moments of the round, Malykhin hurt De Ridder along the Circle Wall and completed the finish with less than 30 seconds remaining. The performance not only crowned Malykhin a two-division ONE World Champion, but it also earned him a hefty US$100,000 bonus.
In the co-main event, ONE Lightweight Submission Grappling World Champion Kade Ruotolo outworked challenger Matheus Gabriel until time expired to retain his golden belt. Ruotolo’s movement was a problem for Gabriel, who opted to pull guard on numerous occasions in hopes of slowing down the defending World Champion. However, Ruotolo’s explosive entries resulted in a myriad of submission attacks, including a knee bar that almost finished the match. In the end, all three judges scored the bout in favor of Ruotolo to win via unanimous decision.
Roberto Soldic’s highly anticipated ONE Championship debut ended in controversy after an unintentional foul in the first round. Murad Ramazanov connected with an accidental knee to the groin against the Circle Wall, and Soldic was unable to continue. The bout was ruled a no contest.
Filipino-American strawweight striker Jackie Buntan came out to a rousing reception, as she showcased her skills for the first time in front of a rabid Manila crowd. Buntan utilized her expert timing and precise combinations to stifle opponent Amber Kitchen throughout the three-round contest, even scoring a knockdown with her punches in the final stanza. That sequence helped the Filipino-American seal the unanimous decision victory.
Hawaiian lightweight star Lowen Tynanes returned to the Circle with a solid performance, figuring in a grueling battle with hard-hitting South Korean warrior Dae Sung Park. Park was aggressive early on, with Tynanes looking to shoot for takedowns. On the mat, the Hawaiian controlled most of the action with his wrestling across three rounds, negating Park’s power. In the end, Tynanes was able to come away with a split-decision victory.
Performance bonus winners: Anatoly Malykhin ($US100,000), Edson Marques (US$50,000), Tye Ruotolo (US$50,000)
MAIN CARD
MMA – Light Heavyweight: Anatoly Malykhin def. Reinier de Ridder via Knockout at 4:35 of R1
Submission Grappling – Lightweight: Kade Ruotolo def. Matheus Gabriel via Unanimous Decision
MMA – Welterweight: Roberto Soldic vs. Murad Ramazanov is declared a No Contest (Unintentional Foul)
Muay Thai – Catchweight (130 lbs): Jackie Buntan def. Amber Kitchen via Unanimous Decision
MMA – Lightweight: Lowen Tynanes def. Dae Sung Park via Split Decision
LEAD CARD
MMA – Lightweight: Edson Marques def. Eduard Folayang via TKO at 2:53 of R2
Submission Grappling – Catchweight (180 lbs): Tye Ruotolo def. Marat Gafurov via Submission (Armbar) at 5:09 minutes
MMA – Heavyweight: Oumar Kane def. Jasur Mirzamukhamedov via Unanimous Decision
MMA – Atomweight: Denice Zamboanga def. Lin Heqin via Split Decision
