ONE Championship: Reinier de Ridder wants ‘Arjan Bhullar at light heavyweight’ if ‘best option’ Vitaly Bigdash is unavailable

Two-division champ has previously called for a heavyweight fight with Bhullar, and is now willing to do it at light heavyweight

Dutchman also keen to ‘have some fun’ in Muay Thai fight with Hong Kong-based heavyweight Alain Ngalani

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Reinier de Ridder celebrates after beating Kiamrian Abbasov. Photo: ONE Championship

Published: 4:54am, 30 Apr 2022Updated: 5:38am, 30 Apr 2022

Two-division ONE Championship title-holder Reinier de Ridder is hoping to defend his middleweight belt against Vitaly Bigdash next, but the Dutchman has other options in mind if that fight does not occur.

Russia’s Bigdash asserted himself as the next man in line for de Ridder, who also holds ONE’s light heavyweight title, when he defeated former champion Aung La N Sang by decision in February.

Yet booking the fight could be easier said than done.

Russian citizens are not currently allowed to enter ONE’s home base of Singapore because of sanctions imposed by the local government following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

That means the company will need to venture outside the city state to promote a De Ridder vs Bigdash fight – something it has not done since a series of events in Bangkok in the summer of 2020.

“It’s all about where we can get him,” De Ridder told the Post of his planned fight with Bigdash. “Because of the status now with Russia it might be hard to get him to Singapore so we’re talking about doing it somewhere else. But there’s nothing in writing as of now.”

If the fight with Bigdash (12-2) fails to come together promptly, de Ridder (15-0) is also interested in defending his light heavyweight title against heavyweight champion Arjan Bhullar, who recently signed a new deal with ONE.