Anatoly Malykhin says he was inspired by ‘The Rock’ growing up: “That guy’s a legend”

Anatoly Malykhin (left) and Dwayne Johnson (R) | Image by ONE Championship and Dwayne Johnson/Instagram
Anatoly Malykhin (left) and Dwayne Johnson (right) [Images courtesy: ONE Championship and @therock on Instagram]

ONE middleweight and light heavyweight MMA world champion Anatoly Malykhin of Russia shared how big an influence professional wrestling had on him growing up.

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The double champion went on to cite WWE legend Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson as one of his childhood heroes during his formative years.

In an interview with ONE Championship, ‘Sladkiy’ shared his admiration for ‘The Rock’, which extends beyond his feats on the squared circle.

"That guy's a legend. He is a self-made man, from a pro wrestler to a top-tier actor. He's living proof that with hard work, you can achieve anything.”
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Needless to say, Anatoly Malykhin views Johnson's career transformation as the ultimate success story. From WWE superstar to Hollywood A-lister, Johnson's journey resonates deeply with the two-division MMA kingpin.

While Malykhin is eager to follow the same path once he decides to hang up his gloves, the 37-year-old will first have some unfinished business to attend to.

He’ll head to ONE 173: Superbon vs. Noiri with vengeance in mind. Malykhin will look to recapture his ONE heavyweight MMA world title on Nov. 16, against the man who handed him his only career loss, reigning champion ‘Reug Reug’ Oumar Kane.

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Stay tuned to Sportskeeda and ONE Championship for the latest updates on ONE 173, set to go down in Tokyo’s Ariake Arena.

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Anatoly Malykhin says he was the ultimate pro-wrestling aficionado

While Anatoly Malykhin spent most of his youth honing his freestyle wrestling skills, his downtime was spent glued to the television.

According to 'Sladkiy', watching the WWE was a normal bonding experience for the Malykhin household.

"I watched it as a kid, back when it was Goldberg and CM Punk. I used to root for Goldberg and Sting. I remember how we'd all sit around the TV [and watch wrestling] as a family," he told ONE Championship.

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Edited by Aziel Karthak
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