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Anatoly Malykhin is a scary individual.
The Russian has put away every opponent he's ever stood across from. Since signing with ONE Championship, he's knocked out all three of his opponents with none of those encounters going beyond round two.
His awesome power was exemplified in his last outing when he folded Kirill Grishenko to win the ONE interim heavyweight title. The victory and finish were so emphatic that he was awarded two $50k bonuses.
Anatoly Malykhin's next bout will surely be against champion Arjan Bhullar as he seeks to go 11-0 and win the undisputed title. There were already some heated words exchanged between the pair after Malykhin called 'Singh' a 'baby chicken', during his post-fight interview.
The date for said showdown is yet to be announced, but 'Spartak' has clearly been putting in the graft at Tiger Muay Thai. ONE Championship posted a video of the 34-year-old showcasing his hardcore strength and conditioning. The caption appropriately read:
"These uppercuts are about to be a PROBLEM 💪 @anmalykhin"
Anatoly Malykhin believes Arjan Bhullar is "still scared"
'Sladkiy' is clearly getting himself fight ready. The 1.84 m star recently posted a highlight training clip dedicated to his boxing coach on his birthday.
But the Russian clearly has his doubts as to whether he will get his chance to let those hands go against the champion; and he believes Bhullar will find a reason not to fight him. In an interview with ONE's official website in March, he said:
“I do not think it will ever happen. [Bhullar] seems to be running away from me all the time. I won’t be surprised if it happens again now. He has not fought any decent opponents of my level in the past. If I have to fight him I will, but it will be a very quick fight.”
If Anatoly Malykhin's doubts about the Bhullar fight come to pass, then he does have other opponents in mind. Marcus Buchecha recently stopped by in Phuket, which prompted the big man from Kemerovo to suggest making a grappling match with the BJJ icon.
Either opponent would be a fascinating challenge for the interim champ, and his reputation as one of the best heavyweights on the planet continues to grow.
