3 Storylines To Watch At ONE on Prime Video 5 De Ridder vs. Malykhin

ONE Championship is almost ready to turn the calendar over to 2023, but not before they return to Prime Video for another loaded card on Friday, December 2.

ONE on Prime Video 5: De Ridder vs. Malykhin will emanate from the Mall of Asia Arena in Manila with multiple World Championship bouts and a card full of exciting martial artists looking to shine on the massive platform.

Before the athletes put on the gloves and get taped up, here are three storylines to watch for when ONE brings another stacked event to U.S. primetime audiences.

A Clash Of Champions

ONE Interim Heavyweight World Champion Anatoly Malykhin will drop in weight to try and become a two-division World Champion, but the undefeated Russian will be meeting one of the most dominant forces in mixed martial arts.

Reinier De Ridder currently holds down the ONE Middleweight and Light Heavyweight World Championships. The Dutchman has been near perfect in each of his matches and is arguably one of the best pound-for-pound athletes in the game today. But Malykhin poses a much larger challenge.

The matchup will give both men a shot for greatness. For “The Dutch Knight,” he can make a statement against the heavyweight king and make a strong case that he should get the opportunity to become the first-ever three-division champion in major mixed martial arts history. But Malykhin can add another title to his mantle and become a global superstar at the same time.

As ONE shuts the door on 2022, they are leaving it all on the table with one of the most compelling matchups of the year. Two undefeated World Champions are putting it all on the line to end the year with a statement they are the best in the world.

Who’s Next For Christian Lee?

Christian Lee is coming off a thrilling victory that made him the ONE Welterweight World Champion. He will likely know who is his first challenger when Murad Ramazanov welcomes Roberto Soldic to the Circle.

Soldic made headlines when he chose to bring his talents to ONE. The former two-division KSW Champion has the “It Factor” that superstars are made of, and his in-ring skills are fantastic. But Ramazanov is his biggest test to date.

The 11-0 Russian has been dominant since arriving in ONE and is coming off a commanding performance against Zebaztian Kadestam last December. This is not only his chance to secure a title shot but to steal the Thunder of the Croatian star.

The welterweight collision has heavy title implications, and the newly minted champion will be watching. Soldic vs. Ramazanov may be the match that steals the show while setting up a colossal title tilt in 2023.

Can Kade Ruotolo Cap Off Historic Year?

Has any grappler had a better year than Kade Ruotolo?

The Southern Californian debuted in ONE with a showcase against Shinya Aoki, where he entered the highlight reel with a back take off of the Circle Wall. Following his debut, he became the youngest-ever ADCC World Champion by submitting his way to the gold.

When he returned to ONE, Ruotolo won the inaugural ONE Lightweight Submission Grappling World Title. Less than two months later, he will return to the Circle for his first title defense.

Ruotolo will defend the gold against Matheus Gabriel. If the American can retain his belt, it will be one of the most spectacular years in grappling history and continue the rise of the teenage star. Kade, along with his brother Tye, is changing the sport, and he can keep the trend rolling at ONE on Prime Video 5.

ONE on Prime Video 5 airs live and free to all U.S. and Canadian Amazon Prime subscribers on Friday, December 2, at 8 p.m. EST/5 p.m. PST.

Mixed martial arts, Mma, One fc, One championship

Black Belt Magazine