'Buchecha' believes Anatoly Malykhin has what it takes to become interim heavyweight champion

Marcus ‘Buchecha’ Almeida has backed Russian powerhouse Anatoly Malykhin to win the ONE interim heavyweight world title.

The multiple-time Brazilian jiu-jitsu world champion made his pick ahead of Malykhin’s showdown against Belarusian bruiser Kirill Grishenko at ONE: Bad Blood this Friday, February 11.

‘Buchecha’ posted a video on Twitter saying:

“I’m really excited to watch on February 11, ONE: Bad Blood. The interim belt for the heavyweight championship between Anatoly and Grishenko. It’s going to be a great fight, can't wait to watch it. But I think Anatoly has the bigger advantage, so I think Anatoly gets the title.”

Malykhin had been sitting in wait for the current world champion Arjan ‘Singh’ Bhullar to accept his challenge for the divisional gold.

But after the Indian kingpin reportedly turned down multiple offers, ONE stepped in and set up an interim title fight.

Grishenko was the logical choice to face 'Sladkiy' given his impressive run at the Singapore-based promotion.

In fact, the two stars go into the world title tilt at the Singapore Indoor Stadium with perfect records. Malykhin owns a 10-0 slate, while Grishenko’s stands at 5-0.

They have also both scored some fantastic finishes in their short time in the circle. ‘Sladkiy’ finished Amir Aliakbari and Alexandre Machado in the opening frame, while his rival has an impressive KO to his name after he finished Senegalese martial artist Oumar Kane in his ONE debut.

Brazilian star ‘Buchecha’ expects nothing short of war when the two behemoths collide on Friday night, and he thinks this matchup will give fans a glimpse of what they can expect from the division in 2022.

In the tweet, he added:

“I can't wait for the future of the heavyweight division. It's really exciting. It's been a great ride, so don't miss it.”

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ONE chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong predicts stand-up war to decide interim heavyweight title

There are a variety of scenarios where each men can leave the circle with the interim heavyweight strap at ONE: Bad Blood.

But ONE chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong thinks that both athletes will be eager to trade heavy leather in an attempt to knock each other out.

The lifelong martial artist stopped short of predicting the winner, but he suggested that Malykhin is a clear favorite leading into the colossal fight.

In an interview with SCMP MMA, Sityodtong said:

“Kirill is much taller and bigger than Anatoly. His striking is not as good, in my opinion, but he’s very durable and very long. Anatoly is more explosive, more athletic. I just don’t see this fight going to the ground – they’re both world-class wrestlers.”

Tune in to ONE: Bad Blood this Friday, February 11 to watch these heavyweight superstars collide.