“I Am Ready to Go in the Ring With Both of Them on the Same Night” – Anatoly Malykhin Shares His Thoughts on Two Potential Challengers

Three-division ONE World Champion Anatoly Malykhin is ready for anyone who wants to take a shot at his crowns, starting with two heavyweight contenders. “Sladkiy” made history at ONE 166: Qatar earlier this month when he finished Reinier de Ridder a second time to claim ONE Middleweight MMA World Title and add it to his heavyweight and light heavyweight straps.

As he looks ahead to his future in ONE, Malykhin told the promotion that there are two deserving fighters at heavyweight whom he would be willing to face. Let us dive in to see who are the fighters about whom Malukhin is talking about.

Anatoly Malykhin probes for opponents in ONE Championship

The three-division champion seems to be looking to defend his title against formidable opponents and seems like he already has his eyes set on his targets.  “At the moment, I see two options. It’s ‘Reug Reug’ [Oumar Kane] or [Amir] Aliakbari. I don’t know which one,” he said in an interview.

He further added “Aliakbari certainly deserves his rematch more at the moment because he’s got a four-fight winning streak, and that’s very serious. I am ready to go in the ring with both of them on the same night.”

Kane and Aliakbari have made legitimate cases for a World Title challenge in the heavyweight divisions. Aliakbari lost his first two bouts in ONE to South Korean powerhouse Kang Ji Won and Malykhin himself, but he has since found his form, racking up four straight victories.

He has defeated two former champions Brandon Vera and Arjan Bhullar, and “Sladkiy” is ready to rumble, as fans appear to be behind their rematch.

Read More: “This Is Just the Beginning” – Anatoly Malykhin Aiming for More Incredible Feats After Claiming Three-Division Glory

Malykhin’s thoughts on his opponents

On the other hand, Anatoly Malykhin believes that Amir Aliakbari is in very good shape and ready to fight. “Amir is in very good shape now. He has good boxing, and functionally he surprises me that he can breathe for all three rounds. I can’t wait for this fight. I think the audience is waiting for it too, so let’s go,” he said.

For his part, “Reug Reug” has been vocal in calling for a World Title shot on social media for some time, and that stepped up after he snapped the dominant win streak of grappling legend Marcus “Buchecha” Almeida at ONE Fight Night 13 last August.

It was a fifth win in six matches for Kane, making him a genuine force to be reckoned with. But Malykhin was straight to the point when predicting the outcome of a potential meeting between them.

“Thoughts [on a fight with ‘Reug Reug’]? Knockout in round one, win a bonus, then have a good time with my family after the win,” he said.

Read More: Tang Kai Sizes Up Garry Tonon and Potential Challengers After ONE 166: Qatar Win