ONE Championship recently announced a pair of high-profile MMA fights for their return to Malaysia.
The promotion is planning an event at the Axiata Arena in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on October 21st. The event will be the third ONE event to air exclusively on Amazon Prime Video in U.S. and Canada.
Undefeated two-division champion Reinier de Ridder will headline the card, attempting to defend his 205-pound belt for the third time when he faces Shamil Abdulaev.
De Ridder first gained his 205-pound belt in October 2020, dethroning Aung La N Sang with a statement first-round rear naked choke submission. Both of his title defenses have come via dominant fashion since then, submitting Kiamrian Abbasov and Vitaly Bigdash in recent months.
Abdulaev is entering the title position without any previous experience in ONE. He has a strong record of 13 wins and just one loss since turning pro in 2012. He has picked up three consecutive wins in recent years, with his last victory coming via first-round finish over Sherif Mohamed in March.
Lineker To Defend Belt For First Time Against Andrade
Appearing for the first time since becoming ONE’s 145-pound champion, John Lineker will compete in October against Fabricio de Andrade.
Lineker became champion in March, picking up a second-round stoppage victory against veteran Bibiano Fernandes.
The former UFC fighter had earned a trio of wins in ONE prior to getting the title opportunity earlier this year.
While de Andrade enters the fight with significantly less experience than Lineker, he has climbed ONE’s rankings since 2020 and set himself up as the top contender in the division.
De Andrade scored his fifth consecutive victory with the promotion in June, stopping Kwon Won Il in just 62 seconds with strikes. The fight was his third consecutive win to come via finish, all within a 12-month timespan.
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