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Reinier de Ridder launched his profession with an ideal 16-0 report and began to suppose that he would all the time dominate his competitors.
It was exhausting to argue together with his logic contemplating de Ridder ran roughshod over two divisions in ONE Championship, amassing seven straight wins, 5 finishes, and a pair of titles alongside the way in which. Forward of his final combat, de Ridder as soon as once more believed he was destined to dispatch one other opponent when Anatoly Malykhin dropped down from heavyweight to take a shot on the gentle heavyweight title.
It took lower than 5 minutes for de Ridder to pay for his hubris, as Malykhin blasted him with punches to attain a first-round knockout.
Wanting again now, de Ridder blames himself for that loss.
“To be trustworthy, I type of underestimated him,” de Ridder advised MMA Combating. “I used to be at a time in my profession, being undefeated, having principally quite a lot of fights that went my approach fairly simply, to not sound too boastful or cocky. I by no means bought hit principally earlier than that combat. I used to be by no means damage, by no means rocked. I had the sensation, that is simply how fights go — I take them down, I choke them out.
“Clearly that wasn’t the case that point, and it was quite a lot of areas after I recovered and took a while off, discovered quite a lot of areas the place I got here up quick. Made an inventory and stored checking them off this yr.”
Whereas he by no means suffered a knockout loss, reigning UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones has detailed his personal expertise trying previous Alexander Gustafsson again in 2013 and the way that served as arguably the most important lesson realized of his total profession. He by no means underestimated one other opponent and refused to do something at half-speed when getting ready for a combat.
As a lot as he needs he didn’t need to lose to get there, de Ridder believes he traveled down the same street as Jones when it got here to disregarding a probably harmful opponent. Now he must make the perfect out of a nasty state of affairs in his rematch with Malykhin at ONE 166, which airs at 7 a.m. ET on Prime Video on Friday in america.
“That’s undoubtedly the factor I’ve taken away from this,” de Ridder stated. “Now I’ve the chance to make it an excellent factor. I’ve been grinding for it. I’ve the chance in entrance of me to make it an excellent factor. It’s s*** proper now, however once I end him, then it’s going to all be good. It was just a bit bump within the street and I’m off cruising once more.
“However I undoubtedly did the identical factor [as Jones]. I underestimated him. I type of bought away from what makes me particular. Acquired away from my obsession with method, my obsession with getting the whole lot as good as attainable. I used to be working exhausting earlier than the combat however not like I did earlier than. Perhaps I wanted just a little little bit of a wake-up name, and I undoubtedly bought it.”
If de Ridder is profitable on Friday in his protection of the ONE middleweight title, he’ll even up his collection with Malykhin at one win a chunk.
That would probably result in a trilogy combat, with Malykhin already holding each the ONE heavyweight and light-weight heavyweight titles — however don’t counsel that to de Ridder straight away.
After ready greater than a yr for the rematch and obsessing at getting his probability at revenge, de Ridder hopes he’ll be capable of transfer previous Malykhin, not less than in the interim.
“I don’t even wish to hear the identify Malykhin after this,” de Ridder stated with amusing. “Depart me alone! I would like some contemporary blood. Another person after this one. He’s been on my thoughts for therefore lengthy. We’ll see after March 1. However I don’t wish to hear Malykhin within the yr 2024 anymore.”
“That’s what I’m planning on March 1, [beating him] after which don’t ever say that identify to me once more.”
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