Tag: Anatoly Malykhin

Anatoly Malykhin set to defend heavyweight title against ‘Reug Reug’ at ONE 169 in Atlanta

Anatoly Malykhin set to defend heavyweight title against 'Reug Reug' at ONE 169 in AtlantaONE Championship’s three-division world titleholder Anatoly Malykhin has his next title defense lined up. Headlining the promotion’s highly anticipated…

Anatoly Malykhin set to defend heavyweight title against 'Reug Reug' at ONE 169 in Atlanta

ONE Championship’s three-division world titleholder Anatoly Malykhin has his next title defense lined up.

Headlining the promotion’s highly anticipated debut inside State Farm Arena on November 8, ‘Sladkiy’ will put his 26 pounds of heavyweight gold on the line against Senegalese standout Oumar ‘Reug Reug’ Kane.

GQcVr7TaIAQ6G9q

Malykhin has established himself as a one-man wrecking machine inside the Circle, amassing an undefeated record of 14-0 with a 100% finish rate. Along the way, he has captured the heavyweight, light heavyweight, and middleweight championships, making him MMA’s first-ever simultaneous three-division king.

In his last outing, he dispatched ‘The Dutch Knight’ Reinier de Ridder for the second time, securing a third-round TKO to claim the middleweight belt. As a heavyweight, his most recent victory came against former titleholder Arjan Bhullar.

ONE Championship three-division champion Anatoly Malykhin

Now, Malykhin will test himself against a world-class wrestler ready to cash in on his first shot at a ONE world title. Overall, ‘Reug Reug’ is a solid 6-1 with five of his six wins coming inside the Circle. In August, Kane shocked everyone with a stellar performance against previously undefeated MMA standout and former 16-time BJJ world champion Marcus ‘Buchecha’ Almeida at ONE Fight Night 13.

Reug Reug

Tawanchai vs. Nattawut III joins Anatoly Malykhin vs. ‘Reug Reug’ at ONE Championship’s ‘Hotlanta’ debut

Also announced for ONE 169 in ‘ATL’ is a trilogy fight between current ONE featherweight Muay Thai world champion Tawanchai and ‘Smokin’ Jo Nattawut. After Nattawut took Tawanchai to the limit in a critically acclaimed kickboxing clash at ONE Fight Night 15, the two tussled on June 7 in a Muay Thai clash for Tawanchai’s coveted title.

Tawachai vs. Nattawut at ONE Championship's return to Impact Arena on June 7

After five intense rounds of action, Tawanchai was declared the winner unanimously—a decision that drew the ire of fight fans inside Bangkok’s iconic Impact Arena and ONE Championship CEO Chatri Sityodtong.

“I thought Jo Nattawut won,” Sityodtong said during the ONE 167 post-fight press conference. “It was a very close fight, very close. But I thought Jo did enought to win. For me, I would have gone to damage. Tawanchai had more damage on him that Jo did.”

Tickets for ONE 169 go on sale on Friday, July 12 via Ticketmaster with pre-sale tickets starting on July 5.

Anatoly Malykhin welcomes clash with Francis Ngannou, but ONE Championship’s CEO is not interested

Anatoly Malykhin welcomes clash with Francis Ngannou, but ONE Championship's CEO is not interestedDespite being MMA’s first simultaneous three-division world champion Anatoly Malykhin is far from being a household name in the…

Anatoly Malykhin welcomes clash with Francis Ngannou, but ONE Championship's CEO is not interested

Despite being MMA’s first simultaneous three-division world champion Anatoly Malykhin is far from being a household name in the world of combat sports. However, a scrap with former UFC titleholder Francis Ngannou could change that.

Boasting an impressive 14-0 record with a 100% finish rate, ‘Sladkiy’ has established himself as one of ONE Championship’s most formidable foes across three different divisions. Starting with capturing the interim heavyweight belt, Malykhin inevitably traded in his temporary title for undisputed gold against the division’s former king, Arjan Bhullar—but not before becoming a two-division champion with a highlight-reel knockout of Reinier de Ridder to claim the light heavyweight title.

Anatoly Malykhin

Determined to etch his name in the history books, Malykhin dropped down two weight classes, challenging de Ridder for the middleweight title at ONE 166 in Qatar. Though it took him a little bit longer the second time around, the result was the same. Malykhin finished ‘The Dutch Knight’ in round three to claim his third strap.

During a recent interview with MMA Fighting, Malykhin addressed a potential matchup with Ngannou, suggesting that he could be “a big problem” for the former UFC-turned-PFL superstar.

“I can say that my strong points are that I move better than him and also I do great body shots,” Malykhin said through an interpreter. “I think me on my feet would be a big problem for him.”

ONE CEO Chatri Sityodtong has little interest in seeing Anatoly Malykhin fight Francis Ngannou

A fight between Anatoly Malykhin and Francis Ngannou would be a huge opportunity for the 13-year-old promotion as it continues to fight for its piece of the pie in the U.S. market, but ONE Championship’s founder and CEO, Chatri Sityodtong, doesn’t appear to be terribly interested in the heavyweight superfight.

Anatoly Malykhin

Commenting on the potential showdown, Sityodtong made it clear that the hurdles of a cross-promotion with PFL are not the issue. It’s that he simply doesn’t believe Ngannou would be much of a challenge for his three-division star.

“I don’t think it would be competitive,” Sityodtong told MMA Fighting. “Francis has one-punch KO power, great striking, but he doesn’t have a ground game. I mean, genuinely [he has] blue belt level jiu-jitsu and no wrestling. Anatoly would take him down in a heartbeat. I don’t think it would be competitive, just to be very blunt, and I’m speaking as a lifelong martial artist. I’m trying to be as objective as possible, and I’ve been doing 40 years of Muay Thai and 15 years of jiu-jitsu. I’m just speaking from personal experience and I’m trying to be objective.

“We all know in all the different weight classes, wrestling is the one discipline that allows you to dictate where the fight takes place. If a wrestler wants to keep it standing, he keeps it standing. If he wants to take you down or she wants to take you down, they’ll take you down, especially a world-class wrestler — a Russian national team wrestler like Anatoly Malykhin. [But] we’ve always been open [to cross promotion].”

240430 Francis Ngannou ch 1422 b1f886

Before signing with the Professional Fighters League, Ngannou met with Sityodtong to work out a potential deal. ONE ultimately walked away from the negotiating table with the CEO noting that he and ‘The Predator’ were not fully aligned on “non-financial matters.”

Considering it’s been more than a year since Ngannou signed with the PFL and he has yet to make his Smart Cage debut, it kinda feels like Sityodtong made the right move.

Anatoly Malykhin becomes three-division world champion with TKO finish of Reinier de Ridder – ONE 166 Highlights

Anatoly MalykhinRussian juggernaut Anatoly Malykhin made MMA history, becoming the first fighter to hold world championships in three different divisions…

Anatoly Malykhin

Russian juggernaut Anatoly Malykhin made MMA history, becoming the first fighter to hold world championships in three different divisions simultaneously.

Already holding both the ONE light heavyweight and heavyweight titles, ‘Sladkiy’ returned to the Circle at ONE 166 in Qatar for a main event showdown with middleweight MMA champion Reinier de Ridder. After succumbing to a first-round KO in their first meeting in December 2022, ‘The Dutch Knight’ fared much better in the early going, using his clinch work to stop Malykhin’s frequent onslaughts.

However, de Ridder’s defense-heavy style couldn’t hold up to the continued attacks, particularly as Anatoly Malykhin began to viciously attack his opponent’s body in the second round.

Coming out for round three, Reinier de Ridder quickly shot in for a desperation takedown attempt which Malykhin easily defended. Ending up on top, ‘Sladkiy’ landed some ground-and-pound strikes, including a couple of well-placed knees before RDR could muster the energy to roll through to his back. Recognizing the impeccable ground game of the Dutchman, Malykin quickly disengaged and got back to his feet.

De Ridder, on the other hand, was exhausted. So much so that he couldn’t muster the energy necessary to stand up and continue, forcing referee Herb Dean to call for the stoppage.

Official Result: Anatoly Malykhin def. Reinier de Ridder via TKO (ground and pound) at 1:16 of Round 3 to win the ONE middleweight MMA world championship

With the victory, Anatoly Malykhin maintained his undefeated record, moving to 14-0. He also kept his 100% finish rate intact and became MMA’s first-ever three-sport world champion.

Check Out Highlights From Anatoly Malykhin vs. Reinier de Ridder at ONE 166:

Oumar ‘Reug Reug’ Kane calls for ONE heavyweight title fight after dismantling ‘Buchecha’

Reug ReugSenegalese knockout artist Oumar ‘Reug Reug’ Kane is ready for a ONE heavyweight world title fight after scoring the biggest win of his mixed martial arts career thus far. On Friday night, ONE Championship returned to the legendary Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok for ONE Fight Night 13 on Prime Video. The event featured a […]

Reug Reug

Senegalese knockout artist Oumar ‘Reug Reug’ Kane is ready for a ONE heavyweight world title fight after scoring the biggest win of his mixed martial arts career thus far.

On Friday night, ONE Championship returned to the legendary Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok for ONE Fight Night 13 on Prime Video. The event featured a stacked lineup, including a highly-entertaining scrap between two of the promotion’s most notable heavyweight standouts, ‘Reug Reug’ and 17-time BJJ world champion Marcus ‘Buchecha’ Almeida.

Almeida went into the contest riding a four-fight undefeated streak, all coming via first-round finishes. As a result, ‘Buchecha’ undoubtedly went into the bout as the significant favorite, but in the end, ‘Reug Reug’ was able to withstand the ground game of the submission grappling superstar and punished his opponent over the course of 15 minutes.

The bout was by no means pretty with both men gassing out in the early going, but that didn’t stop the two warriors from giving it everything they had and earning the appreciation of fans watching around the world.

‘Reug Reug’ Calls for a Heavyweight Title Fight Following Impressive Win

With the victory, ‘Reug Reug’ is likely the next man in line for a heavyweight title opportunity. Speaking with the South China Morning Post following his win, Kane said:

“Inshallah! Yeah. Inshallah! I’m ready. Everything inshallah, I am ready. I am ready… He’s a good guy you know, I am ready to fight this guy… This is my belt. I am ready,” ‘Reug Reug’ said. “It doesn’t make sense for me to wait you know I shouldn’t be waiting. One Championship is my house and this is my belt so I should be fighting.”

Currently, Russian juggernaut Anatoly Malykhin is the holder of both the ONE heavyweight and light heavyweight world championships. In June, ‘Sladkiy’ got into a physical altercation with streaking heavyweight standout Amir Aliakbari. That led many to believe the Iranian wrestler would be the next man to challenge Malykhin, but after Friday night’s event inside the Mecca of Muay Thai, it’s hard to imagine anyone other than ‘Reug Reug’ stepping in with hopes of dethroning Malykhin.

Oumar ‘Reug Reug’ Kane calls for ONE heavyweight title fight after dismantling ‘Buchecha’

Reug ReugSenegalese knockout artist Oumar ‘Reug Reug’ Kane is ready for a ONE heavyweight world title fight after scoring the biggest win of his mixed martial arts career thus far. On Friday night, ONE Championship returned to the legendary Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok for ONE Fight Night 13 on Prime Video. The event featured a […]

Reug Reug

Senegalese knockout artist Oumar ‘Reug Reug’ Kane is ready for a ONE heavyweight world title fight after scoring the biggest win of his mixed martial arts career thus far.

On Friday night, ONE Championship returned to the legendary Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok for ONE Fight Night 13 on Prime Video. The event featured a stacked lineup, including a highly-entertaining scrap between two of the promotion’s most notable heavyweight standouts, ‘Reug Reug’ and 17-time BJJ world champion Marcus ‘Buchecha’ Almeida.

Almeida went into the contest riding a four-fight undefeated streak, all coming via first-round finishes. As a result, ‘Buchecha’ undoubtedly went into the bout as the significant favorite, but in the end, ‘Reug Reug’ was able to withstand the ground game of the submission grappling superstar and punished his opponent over the course of 15 minutes.

The bout was by no means pretty with both men gassing out in the early going, but that didn’t stop the two warriors from giving it everything they had and earning the appreciation of fans watching around the world.

‘Reug Reug’ Calls for a Heavyweight Title Fight Following Impressive Win

With the victory, ‘Reug Reug’ is likely the next man in line for a heavyweight title opportunity. Speaking with the South China Morning Post following his win, Kane said:

“Inshallah! Yeah. Inshallah! I’m ready. Everything inshallah, I am ready. I am ready… He’s a good guy you know, I am ready to fight this guy… This is my belt. I am ready,” ‘Reug Reug’ said. “It doesn’t make sense for me to wait you know I shouldn’t be waiting. One Championship is my house and this is my belt so I should be fighting.”

Currently, Russian juggernaut Anatoly Malykhin is the holder of both the ONE heavyweight and light heavyweight world championships. In June, ‘Sladkiy’ got into a physical altercation with streaking heavyweight standout Amir Aliakbari. That led many to believe the Iranian wrestler would be the next man to challenge Malykhin, but after Friday night’s event inside the Mecca of Muay Thai, it’s hard to imagine anyone other than ‘Reug Reug’ stepping in with hopes of dethroning Malykhin.

Anatoly Malykhin smashes Arjan Bhullar en route to unifying ONE world titles – ONE Friday Fights 22 Highlights

Anatoly MalykhinAnatoly Malykhin traded in his interim heavyweight title for undisputed gold on Friday after securing a third-round TKO against ONE heavyweight world champion Arjan Bhullar. Emanating from the legendary Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, ONE Friday Fights 22 featured a heavyweight main event more than a year in the making as Russian knockout artist Anatoly […]

Anatoly Malykhin

Anatoly Malykhin traded in his interim heavyweight title for undisputed gold on Friday after securing a third-round TKO against ONE heavyweight world champion Arjan Bhullar.

Emanating from the legendary Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, ONE Friday Fights 22 featured a heavyweight main event more than a year in the making as Russian knockout artist Anatoly Malykhin sought to unify his interim ONE heavyweight title with Arjan Bhullar’s undisputed heavyweight world championship. He did exactly that, dominating ‘Singh’ through nearly three rounds before ultimately dragging Bhullar to the canvas and pounding out the biggest victory of his career.

With the win, Anatoly Malykhin moved to 13-0. He also kept his 100% finish rate intact while adding another 26 pounds of ONE Championship gold to his collection. ‘Sladkiy’ now reigns as both the ONE heavyweight and light heavyweight world champions. If he gets his wish, Malykhin will have the opportunity to become the first-ever three-division titleholder in MMA history as he hopes to challenge reigning ONE middleweight champion Reinier de Ridder in October.

Until then, the Russian juggernaut will simply have to make do with the two massive world title belts already in his collection.

Official Result: Anatoly Malykhin def. Arjan Bhullar via TKO (strikes) at 2:42 of Round 3.

Check Out Highlights from Anatoly Malykhin vs. Arjan Bhullar at ONE Friday Fights 22 Below: