Dmitry Menshikov says he genuinely enjoyed brutal war with Sinsamut: "That's why I was smiling"

Apart from his freakish power, what makes Russian knockout artist Dmitry Menshikov extremely dangerous is his absolute love for featuring in violent scraps.

The 26-year-old from the Kuzbass region truly enjoys fighting and this fighting spirit shines through in every one of his outings.

At ONE Fight Night 22 last weekend, fans noticed Menshikov peculiarly smiling despite receiving heavy blows from Sinsamut Klinmee in their three-round Muay Thai war.

Turns out, the Empire Club and Kuzbass Muay Thai athlete was simply following a dear friend's advice. He said in his post-event interview:

"Before my fight, my friend in Russia told me, 'You wanna fight, but at the same time, you want to enjoy. Just go there and just enjoy yourself.' I remembered about the things he told me, and you know, I was like, 'Sure, I need to enjoy'. That's why I was smiling [throughout the fight]."

While Menshikov was outclassed in the first two rounds, he kept a huge grin on his face knowing that he end the fight in an instant. True enough, the Russian finisher turned the tables and brutalized Sinsamut in the final round for his third straight KO victory.

Dmitry Menshikov had zero doubt he would KO Sinsamut

Dmitry Menshikov has left a trail of destruction in his wake ever since that harrowing ONE debut that resulted in a sub-minute KO loss to Regian Eersel.

The 26-year-old has certainly loosened up and is finally displaying his true form under the ONE banner. Despite a slow start against Sinsamut, Menshikov never lost faith in his abilities. He added:

"I knew I was going to win. Even between the second and the third round, I was talking to my trainer, I was telling him I was going to win. I was fresh, I was full of energy."

The replay of ONE Fight Night 22 is free on-demand for Prime Video subscribers in the United States and Canada.

Watch Dmitry Menshikov's full interview: