Three-division champion Anatoly Malykhin will be watching ONE 168: Denver with total interest. While he is all fired up for the clash between Superlek and Jonathan Haggerty, there’s one more fight he will be keen to have a look at. The Russian powerhouse will also have his eyes on the middleweight MMA clash between Shamil Erdogan and Aung La N Sang. Erdogan is relatively new to ONE Championship but has impressed everyone with his debut performance. The 34-year-old has exceptional wrestling skills, which the three-division champion recognizes as well.

Malykhin, during a recent interview with ONE Championship, said, “I remember Erdogan from freestyle wrestling. He won against me at the Yarygin Cup Rybinsk tournament. So, this fight would be a good rematch, now under MMA rules.  The Russian further pointed out that the only weakness he has in his game and said, “He’s a good fighter! He has excellent wrestling and strong striking. However, his conditioning is not at the highest level, but his striking and wrestling are top-notch.” Although the three-division champion has some high praises for Erdogan, he is confident that he will remain undefeated if they clash in the future. 

Anatoly Malykhin wants to see how much Shamil Erdogan has improved 

Shamil Erdogan and Anatoly Malykhin have previously faced each other in the Russian wrestling circuit. Erdogan managed to beat ‘Sladkiy’ but the three-division World Champion feels MMA will be a completely new ball game. Despite coming from a wrestling background, Erdogan’s transition into MMA has been smooth, and he currently holds a record of 9-0. However, Malykhin still has a few questions in his mind, which he put across during the interview.  

He said, “I’d like to see him in a five-round fight. In training, everyone I’ve seen is good. But a real fight and training are two different things. Overall, Erdogan’s level is high – the guy was the runner-up at the World Freestyle Wrestling Championship, and that says a lot.” However, the Russian made it clear that despite being a talented fighter, Erdogan will not be able to beat him. “A fight with Erdogan would go the same way as all my previous fights, and I’ll still have a ‘zero’ in the ‘losses’ column,” were the words of the three-division champion.

Erdogan can put Malykhin’s doubts to rest if he can manage to defeat his next opponent. Former two-division MMA World Champion Aung La N Sang is a man on a mission and is determined to reclaim the ONE Middleweight MMA World Title he once held. “The Burmese Python” is currently on an impressive three-fight win streak – all finishes – and will be certainly be a tough challenge for the undefeated Turk. 

Meanwhile, Malykhin is preparing for his upcoming clash at ONE 169: Atlanta against Oumar Kane. The Russian will defend his ONE Heavyweight MMA World Title on November 8 and is confident of keeping his winning momentum going. Let us take a closer look at his fight. 

Anatoly Malykhin is all set to take on Oumar Kane at ONE 169: Atlanta 

Three-division ONE MMA World Champion Anatoly Malykhin has never shied away from facing anyone in his career. He will now be going up against Senegalese heavyweight fighter Oumar Kane. A brutally powerful athlete, Kane comes from a wrestling background and holds a lot of hype around him. The 32-year-old is currently on a four-fight winning streak, probably none bigger than his conquest of BJJ legend Marcus “Buchecha” Almeida at ONE Fight Night 13 in August last year. The win put him on a collision course with Malykhin, who will be his toughest fight to date. 

The pair have been involved in a lot of social media brawls lately, which has already hyped up the clash. Malykhin is riding high on confidence and isn’t quite bothered with the hype surrounding the challenger. The Russian agrees that the Senegalese fighter is, without a doubt, one of the most powerful fighters in the division. However, during one of his interviews with ONE Championship, he made it clear that Kane doesn’t have the conditioning to last the entire fight. The 34-year-old even predicted that he would knock out the challenger and defend his title. 

Kane is also excited to showcase his skills against one of the best fighters and, while speaking to ONE Championship during an interview, said, “Malykhin, I’m gonna kill you. That’s it.” Who do you think will win the fight at ONE 169: Atlanta? Let us know about it in the comments below.