Reinier De Ridder: I’ll Dominate Abbasov From Start To Finish
Two-division ONE World Champion Reinier “The Dutch Knight” de Ridder respects Kiamrian “Brazen” Abbasov for his ambition.
Still, he thinks the ONE Welterweight World Champion will regret moving up in weight to face him.
Abbasov will challenge the Dutchman for his middleweight mixed martial arts gold in the main event of ONE: FULL CIRCLE on Friday, 25 February, and the defending king believes “Brazen” has bitten off more than he can chew.
“It’s something I tip my hat to. It’s a big step up for him. He’s a lot shorter than I am, so hat’s off for trying,” De Ridder says.
“He’s a durable fighter. He’s a good fighter all-around. I just think I’m on another level, and I’ll showcase that.
“I’m not underestimating him. I see his technique is crisp. I see he’s got championship heart. But once I get a hold of that neck, I’ll finish anybody in the world.”
In any case, both men have been on a tear in The Home of Martial Arts.
Abbasov is 4-1 in ONE, including three stoppages and two World Title victories. Meanwhile, “The Dutch Knight” has won all five of his appearances, finishing three and taking a pair of belts from Aung La “The Burmese Python” N Sang.
For “Brazen,” success has come from a combination of sharp striking and excellent wrestling. De Ridder recognizes those skills, although he says they’re accompanied by some flaws.
“[Abbasov] flows from striking to wrestling pretty easily, but he gets a little overzealous sometimes and gets taken down by much smaller guys,” the Combat Brothers representative offers.
“He’s got good hands, fast hands. He’s pretty one-dimensional in his boxing, pretty loose on speed, but makes some mistakes in his footwork.
“He has decent wrestling but gets taken down pretty often. So I think I’m dominating from start to finish.”
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“The Dutch Knight” does acknowledge that Abbasov throws “sneaky” and “dangerous” right knees, but that weapon isn’t putting a dent in his confidence.
Instead, the Breda native has no doubt that his complete MMA game, athleticism, and size advantage will be too much for the Kyrgyz challenger to handle.
The 193-centimeter Dutchman will tower over his 183-centimeter foe on the feet, while his judo and BJJ black belts will offer him plenty of tools in the clinch and on the ground.
“I’m better overall. I’m rangier in striking,” De Ridder asserts.
“I’ll be able to touch him when I want to. I’m the better grappler, I’ll take anybody down in the world, and I’ll finish anybody in the world as well.”
In terms of how this matchup will play out, “The Dutch Knight” says it depends on how Abbasov approaches the opening round.
But whether “Brazen” is cautious or aggressive, the middleweight king expects an early finish.
“I see this going one of two ways, depending on how he comes out,” De Ridder states.
“I think he’ll be a bit hesitant to come in. I’ll hit him with some jabs, front kick him, push him against the fence, push him back, and take him down. I see myself passing the guard pretty easily, and getting the side choke at the end of the first or beginning of the second round.
“But he might come out guns blazing, and I might be able to take him out on the feet as well. I want to finish him as quickly as possible.”
A fast victory would be perfect for “The Dutch Knight,” who would love to get back inside the Circle against another opponent in the near future.
“The only thing I want is matches, as much as possible. Line them up and I’ll knock ‘em back,” the defending titleholder adds.
“Give me a fight every quarter. I don’t care who. Just line them up.”
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