Anatoly Malykhin shows no interest in facing “brother” Aung La N Sang

Anatoly Malykhin has made it abundantly clear that he has no intention of stepping into the Circle with Aung La N Sang.

The Russian’s proclamation comes on the heels of his monumental victory at ONE 166: Qatar earlier this month. There, he solidified his status as one of the sport’s most dominant figures.

He already holds the ONE Heavyweight and Light Heavyweight MMA World Championships. In fact, he achieved a remarkable feat by defeating Reinier de Ridder in a rematch to capture the middleweight crown.

As Malykhin basks in the glory of his achievement, Aung La N Sang emerges as a potential challenger.

With a three-fight winning streak under his belt, Aung La N Sang stands on the verge of a shot at the ONE Middleweight MMA World Title.

However, Malykhin’s stance on facing Aung La N Sang couldn’t be clearer.

In an interview with SCMP, “Sladkiy” unequivocally stated that sharing the same stage with the former two-division ONE World Champion is strictly off the table.

“I like Aung La. He’s my friend,” Malykhin said through a translator. “I wouldn’t be fighting with him. He’s my brother,” Malykhin said.

On the flip side, Aung La N Sang embraces the excitement surrounding the prospect of facing Malykhin for 26 pounds of gold.

“If we were to fight, there’s no way that any of us would back down, and we’ll put on a great show,” Aung La N Sang said.

Indeed, a showdown between Malykhin and Aung La N Sang would be a clash of epic proportions.

Both men are relentless finishers, and “The Burmese Python” recognizes the fanfare such a matchup would generate.

“Think about it — every fight that I fight, I fight for the finish. Every fight that he fights, he fights for the finish. There would be no yellow card in that fight. It would for sure be a barnburner for the fans,” he promised.

Anatoly Malykhin focused on defending heavyweight throne

For Anatoly Malykhin, his immediate focus lies on defending his ONE Heavyweight MMA World Championship.

Amir Aliakbari and “Reug Reug” Oumar Kane offering strong cases to be the next heavyweight World Title contender. And Malykhin is meticulously preparing for the battles that lie ahead.

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

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