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Russian powerhouse Anatoly Malykhin is welcoming any and all challengers, not only in ONE Championship, but any heavyweight regardless of promotion.
'Sladkiy', who now holds both the light heavyweight strap and the interim heavyweight belt, is angling for the biggest and toughest matchups. The 34-year-old's stardom reached new heights following his first-round finish over previously unbeaten Dutch superstar Reinier de Ridder at ONE on Prime Video 5.
Fans around the world are waiting to see who the unbeaten double champ will face next, and Malykhin penned a response on Instagram:
"Thanks to the best league @onechampionship. People often write to me that they want to see my fights with heavyweights from other promotions. I'm ready to fight anyone, but for that they need to sign up for our best league. Well, then we'll see if they will last until the end of the first round 👊🏻"
ONE CEO still in awe over Anatoly Malykhin's recent KO
Like the rest of the MMA community, ONE CEO Chatri Sityodtong is still buzzing over Anatoly Malykhin's latest title-winning performance.
The promotion's leader spoke with reporters about the result during the post-fight presser, saying:
“It's one of those extraordinary performances that you'll see every now and then. I think the world is very lucky to see a performance like that. I mean, how often do you get a storyline of two undefeated world champions going at it? Where Anatoly was arguably the underdog.”
Malykhin's showing was amongst the most impressive in recent memory, but his work is far from done. The two-division champ hopes to add to his legacy by defending his light heavyweight belt and successfully unifying his other title.
It's entirely possible that the Russian will take on heavyweight king Arjan Bhullar next. He's ready to return from his injury layoff. Otherwise, look for Malykhin to run it back with de Ridder at light heavyweight.
Make sure to return to Sportskeeda for an announcement regarding Anatoly Malykhin's next fight, as it will likely be a marquee world title fight at either heavyweight or light heavyweight.
Check out Chatri Sityodtong's full ONE on Prime Video 5 post-fight presser:
