TheJakartaPost
Please Update your browser
Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.
Reinier de Ridder to defend ONE world title against Shamil Abdulaev at ONE Fight Night 3
Change Size
Reinier de Ridder.
O
NE middleweight and light heavyweight world champion Reinier de Ridder will make his way back to the Circle on Oct. 22, where he’ll put his middleweight throne on the line against Shamil Abdulaev in the main event of ONE Fight Night 3.
It will be de Ridder’s third world title defense this year, having taken out Kiamrian Abbasov in February and Vitaly Bigdash in July, and he’ll be keen to further cement his dominance over the division by taking out promotional newcomer Abdulaev.
The Dutch athlete has been on a warpath since joining ONE in 2019, and his perfect 16-0 slate makes him one of the organization’s biggest stars. His superstar status is bolstered by his enthusiasm to fight, and his upcoming bout will be an interesting challenge.
Abdulaev holds an impressive professional record of 13-1, and he is motivated to announce himself to the world by defeating a dominant force like de Ridder.
His wrestling background could pose a threat to the ONE world champion, who holds a black belt in Brazilian jujitsu and judo.
Read also: Allazov promises Superbon won’t see what’s coming in world title matchup
The Russian star will have plenty to study before he steps in against de Ridder, and he will have undoubtedly taken note of how Bigdash managed to sink in a threatening submission on “The Dutch Knight” in the early stages of their world title tilt earlier this year.
Abdulaev will be looking to capitalize on the gaps his compatriot found on that occasion.
De Ridder has made it abundantly clear that he is consistently ready to jump into the Circle whenever he gets the chance. However, come Oct. 22, those words could come back to haunt the ONE middleweight world champion.
Before ONE Fight Night 3 goes down on Oct. 22, make sure to download the ONE Super App to catch all the action at ONE 161: Petchmorakot vs. Tawanchai on Sept. 29 at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.
This article was published in collaboration with ONE Championship.
