Anatoly Malykhin says Jonathan Haggerty ‘doesn’t stand a chance’ to beat Fabricio Andrade in MMA

ONE heavyweight and light heavyweight world champion Anatoly Malykhin warns Jonathan Haggerty that he wouldn’t be able to achieve the unthinkable should he pursue Fabricio Andrade’s MMA world title next.

The Russian tank was seated at ringside to support his longtime training partner and teammate in his quest for two-sport status versus Jonathan Haggerty in the main event of ONE Fight Night 16.

Unfortunately for the Brazilian, his hopes and dreams were crushed – quite literally – by ‘The General’s’ merciless striking power almost two minutes into the second frame.

Immediately after the win, Jonathan Haggerty called for a rematch against Andrade for the latter’s 26-pound MMA gold.

While there hasn’t been any response from ‘Wonder Boy’s’ camp, Malykhin doesn’t think it would be a wise move for the newly minted two-sport ONE world champion.

In an interview with ONE Championship, ‘Sladkiy’ said:

“I'll say it straight away, Haggerty doesn't stand a chance in MMA. It's a different world.”

Whether or not ‘The General’ can succeed in a transition to the all-encompassing discipline remains to be seen.

But it’s hard to imagine what more he can do to Andrade should the pair run it back in 4-ounce gloves. The pair’s headliner contest last week was contested under kickboxing rules with bigger gloves. Even with that, Jonathan Haggerty looked every bit a dangerous fighter.

However, with other facets of the game to keep an eye out for – takedowns, level switches, and grappling – the Brit striking megastar would not have it easy if he does get an opportunity to face Andrade under MMA rules.

In the meantime, North American viewers with an active Amazon Prime Video subscription can rewatch all the action from ONE Fight Night 16, including the incredible main event showdown, via the free event replay.