Anatoly Malykhin more than ready to defend heavyweight crown

As the dust settles from his historic triumph at ONE 166: Qatar earlier this month, Anatoly Malykhin finds himself in a unique position.

At the forefront of his agenda is a ONE Heavyweight MMA World Title defense. It’s a task not taken lightly by the Russian powerhouse.

With potential challengers lining up, he has meticulously narrowed his focus down to two opponents — Amir Aliakbari and “Reug Reug” Oumar Kane

“At the moment, I see two options. It’s ‘Reug Reug’ or Aliakbari. I don’t know which one,” he said.

“Aliakbari certainly deserves his rematch more at the moment because he’s got a four-fight winning streak, and that’s very serious.”

Despite the undeniable threat posed by Aliakbari and “Reug Reug,” Malykhin exudes confidence.

“I am ready to go in the ring with both of them on the same night,” he said.

With a flawless 14-0 record and a remarkable 100 percent finishing rate, “Sladkiy” is more than willing to stake his claim as the division’s undisputed kingpin against both men.

“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,” Malykhin said.

“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.”

Anatoly Malykhin guarantees ‘This is just the beginning’

Anatoly Malykhin etched his name into the annals of MMA history by becoming the first three-division World Champion at ONE 166: Qatar.

Already holding the ONE Heavyweight and Light Heavyweight MMA World Championships, he added another feather to his cap by beating Reinier de Ridder in a rematch to capture the middleweight crown.

However, despite his unprecedented success, Malykhin remains hungry for more.

“Sladkiy” is steadfast in his pursuit of bigger challenges, fueled by an unyielding desire to stand shoulder-to-shoulder among the all-time greats.

“For me, this win does not make history. It’s always been clear I can do things in sports that no one else has ever done. I think history will be made when we get four belts and one more in boxing,” he said.

“Then we’ll make history. But, for now, this is just the beginning of our journey.”