De Ridder vs. Abdulaev, Lineker vs. Andrade MMA World Title Fights Top ONE On Prime Video 3
Two-division ONE World Champion Reinier de Ridder and ONE Bantamweight World Champion John Lineker officially have their next World Title defenses booked.
On Friday, October 21, De Ridder will defend his middleweight crown against Russian challenger Shamil Abdulaev in the main event of ONE on Prime Video 3.
Plus, Lineker will put his gold on the line against surging #2 contender Fabricio Andrade in the co-main event of the U.S. primetime show.
De Ridder, who owns Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and judo black belts, has been absolutely flawless since kicking off his MMA career in June 2013.
The lanky Dutchman possesses a spotless 16-0 career record, sports a phenomenal 87.5 percent finishing rate, and holds both the ONE Light Heavyweight and Middleweight World Titles.
Most recently, De Ridder overcame an early scare to submit former middleweight king Vitaly Bigdash via inverted triangle choke in the first round of their main event showdown at ONE 159 in July.
Now, “The Dutch Knight” will attempt to keep his slate clean and make his third straight successful ONE Middleweight World Title defense.
However, he is bracing for perhaps his greatest challenge yet in Abdulaev.
The promotional newcomer is a multiple-time European and Russian MMA Champion who owns a 13-1 record. Hailing from Dagestan, he’s earned 54 percent of his victories by way of knockout, and his only loss came via split decision.
On October 21, Abdulaev will look to increase that knockout ratio, hand De Ridder his first defeat, and claim ONE World Title gold.
Before that high-stakes clash, fans will witness a battle between the most explosive strikers in ONE Championship’s bantamweight MMA division.
Reigning king Lineker has been a destructive force since joining the world’s largest martial arts organization in late 2019.
The 32-year-old Brazilian has been perfect in his promotional tenure, rattling off four consecutive victories and upping his career record to 35-9.
His crowning moment came at ONE: LIGHTS OUT this past March, as he knocked out longtime bantamweight king Bibiano Fernandes to claim the crown.
For his first ONE Bantamweight World Title defense, Lineker draws his young compatriot, who seems near-unstoppable at this point.
The 24-year-old Andrade may have less MMA experience with an 8-2 record overall, but he’s riding a seven-fight winning streak and owns an undefeated slate since joining ONE.
That impressive run includes sensational first-round knockouts in his last three fights, with “Wonder Boy” establishing himself as a breakout star in the organization.
The Muay Thai stylist is also supremely confident, continuously calling out Lineker for a World Title showdown and referring to the divisional king as a “chicken.”
At ONE on Prime Video 3, the Brazilian power punchers will get the chance to settle their budding rivalry and compete for the top prize in the weight class.
Stay tuned to onefc.com for more details about ONE on Prime Video 3.
