‘Reug Reug’ dethrones Anatoly Malykhin at ONE 169

Oumar Kane, also known as Reug Reug, defeated Anatoly Malykhin at ONE 169 last night to claim the ONE Championship heavyweight title.

Over the course of the last few years, mixed martial arts fans have heard a lot about Reug Reug. In equal measure, they’ve heard a great deal about Anatoly Malykhin. In terms of ONE Championship’s heavyweight division, they are easily the two biggest names on the roster. So, it made sense for them to square off eventually.

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Heading into this fight, Malykhin was known as the first man to hold three world titles in three different weight classes for a major MMA promotion. Kane, meanwhile, is best known for his imposing presence alongside his fascinating fighting style. Many felt as if Malykhin had the advantage, if only because of his unbeaten record and incredible striking.

As it turns out, though, we may have been underestimating Kane this entire time. That’s because after five grueling rounds in Bangkok, the Senegal star pulled out a split decision win to claim the strap.

THE REUG REUG ERA HAS BEGUN pic.twitter.com/oJknnspNC6

— caposa (@Grabaka_Hitman) November 9, 2024

Reug Reug gets the job done

As you can probably imagine, the result wound up being pretty controversial. That’s always going to be the case in a title fight of this magnitude, but it’s particularly notable given the lack of action from Kane during some of the rounds. With that being said, the contest itself certainly drew a lot of attention, and you’d have to imagine they’ll consider running it back.

Who do you believe was the rightful winner in this mammoth contest? If they do end up booking a rematch, who is most likely to come out on top? Let us know your thoughts on this and the event as a whole, BJPENN Nation!