Anatoly Malykhin says he wanted to spar with Tyson Fury: “There can only be one knockout king”

Looks like ONE light heavyweight and interim heavyweight world champion Anatoly Malykhin wants a piece of WBC heavyweight boxing champion Tyson Fury. 'The Gypsy King' went to Thailand recently, and it seems Malykhin wanted to cross paths with the British superstar.

Fury is also rumored to face UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones. Needless to say, the Russian KO artist injected his own brand of concussive fists into the conversation:

"Because there can only be one king, one knockout king in Phuket, and that's me [laughs]. No, in reality, I'd really like to spar with Tyson. Maybe, teach him a little bit of wrestling. I know a thing or two about it."

Jokes aside, Anatoly Malykhin might very well be right when he alluded that he is the one true KO king of heavyweights. 'Sladkiy' has a 100% finishing rate in his MMA career with eight of his 12 wins coming by way of knockout. We dare say that if he does get in the ring with 'The Gypsy King', he might just pose a serious problem on the feet.

When it comes to wrestling, Anatoly Malykhin is an accomplished freestyle wrestler. In 2013, the heavy-handed heavyweight captured the bronze medal in the Russian national championships. If Fury is to fight Jones in an MMA match, 'Sladkiy' can teach him a thing or two on wrestling in reverse.

At the moment, the ONE double-champ is headed for a massive world title unification bout at ONE Friday Fights 22. Taking place inside the iconic Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Thailand on June 23, Anatoly Malykhin will square off against ONE heavyweight king Arjan 'Singh' Bhullar.

This massive clash of modern-day titans has been announced, scheduled, canceled, and then rebooked a couple of times in the past. Finally, the two behemoths signed the dotted line to settle their intense rivalry.

ONE Friday Fights 22 is available live and for free on ONE Championship’s digital platforms as well as on its official broadcast partners.