ONE Championship will have a busy few weeks ahead, starting with ONE 159: De Ridder vs. Bigdash on 22 July at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.
Two-division ONE World Champion Reinier “The Dutch Knight” de Ridder defends his middleweight strap against Vitaly Bigdash in the main event of the said card, meaning two of the hottest fighters in the Circle will be battling it out for divisional supremacy.
One of the men who can’t wait for that match is former ONE Lightweight World Champion Eduard “Landslide” Folayang, who’s in fan mode while preparing for his next assignment in The Home of Martial Arts.
“I’m just training while waiting for the upcoming events. I’m excited for them. We have a great lineup ahead this July and August. So that’s what I’m looking forward to,” Folayang said.
Folayang sees this match going to De Ridder because of “The Dutch Knight’s” amazing ground prowess and size, which has overwhelmed most of his middleweight opponents.
In 15 bouts, no one has been able to solve the De Ridder riddle. Moreover, the Dutchman holds 11 submission wins.
Should the match hit the ground, Folayang knows it won’t be long before De Ridder dominates.
“I think it’s still going to be De Ridder. Looking at his reach advantage and his technical brilliance on the ground, I think he still has the edge,” Folayang said.
The strategy for Bigdash is pretty simple as well – avoid the ground at all costs.
While the Russian is an exceptional grappler in his own right, owning six submission wins and having never been submitted, Folayang knows that Bigdash is better off striking with the Combat Brothers star instead of taking a gamble on the canvas.
“If Bigdash keeps this fight on the feet, he’ll get the advantage,” Folayang said.
“He has great striking, so if he can keep it there, he’ll have a good chance to win. On the ground, he’s no pushover as well, although De Ridder is definitely more technical when it comes to the ground.”
Read More From ONE Championship:
