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Reigning and undisputed ONE heavyweight and light heavyweight MMA world champion ‘Sladkiy’ Anatoly Malykhin knows the opportunity he has before him is the biggest in his career, but he’s not about to head into his next fight overconfident.
Although, Malykhin is already one of the most dominant world champions in all of mixed martial arts today, and a two-division MMA world champion, he is gunning for his third world title in as many divisions.
Malykhin is set to face former adversary, reigning ONE middleweight MMA world champion ‘The Dutch Knight’ Reinier de Ridder in the main event of ONE 166: Qatar, which takes place live from the Lusail Sports Arena in Lusail on Friday, March 1.
Speaking to ONE Championship in a recent interview, Malykhin says that although he’s already beaten De Ridder in the past, he will not yet claim to be the best middleweight in the world, given that it’s his first time competing in this weight class.
The Russian powerhouse said:
“I can’t say that [being the best] about myself in the middleweight division because this will be my first fight in this weight, and it would be arrogant to say that I’m the best without ever having fought in it.”
If he is victorious in his next fight, Malykhin will become an unprecedented simultaneous three-division MMA world champion. No one has ever become a triple champ before, and ‘Sladkiy’ wants to be the very first.
Anatoly Malykhin headlines stacked ONE 166 card in Qatar
ONE Championship makes its highly anticipated return to the Middle East with ONE 166: Qatar, and the promotion has lined up a stacked card for fans.
In the co-main event, ONE strawweight MMA world champion ‘The Monkey God’ Jarred Brooks defends his gold against former foe Joshua ‘The Passion’ Pacio in a rematch.
Also, ONE featherweight MMA world champion Tang Kai returns from injury to attempt to unify the belts against ONE interim featherweight MMA world champion Thanh Le, while former ONE heavyweight MMA world champion Arjan ‘Singh’ Bhullar goes head-to-head with streaking Iranian heavyweight Amir Aliakbari.
