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Anatoly Malykhin voiced his respect for fellow world-class MMA fighter Tom Aspinall.
Malykhin made his ONE Championship debut in March 2021 and has since become a three-division world champion. During his six-fight promotional run, the hard-hitting Russian has fought at heavyweight four times, winning by knockout against Alexandre Machado, Amir Aliakbari, Kirill Grishenko, and Arjan Bhullar.
'Sladkiy' is widely considered one of the best heavyweight MMA fighters on the planet, especially outside the UFC. Therefore, diehard combat sports fans have questioned how Malykhin would do against top-tier opposition in other promotions.
During an interview with Red Corner MMA, Malykhin had this to say about UFC interim heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall:
"I like Aspinall a lot. A very well-rounded fighter. Great in all aspects of the game."
Watch Anatoly Malykhin's entire interview with Red Corner MMA below:
Anatoly Malykhin looks to extend heavyweight resume later this year
Anatoly Malykhin's last fight was a rematch against Reinier de Ridder for the latter's ONE middleweight world title. Maylkhin broke down De Ridder in the ONE 166: Qatar main event on March 1 and became a three-division MMA world champion with a third-round knockout win.
Although nothing is confirmed, Malykhin will likely defend his heavyweight throne in his next fight or later this year. The question is, which top contender is worthy of a shot at the Russian king?
'Reug Reug' Oumar Kane started his ONE tenure with two first-round knockouts before suffering his lone loss against Kirill Grishenko. The Senegalese heavyweight bounced back with wins against Batradz Gazzaev, Jasur Mirzamukhamedov, and Marcus 'Buchecha' Almeida to potentially fight for a title.
Meanwhile, Amir Aliakbari also has a strong argument for a title shot. Following a loss against Malykhin in 2021, Aliakbari returned to the top of the division with four consecutive wins, including two against former world champions (Brandon Vera and Arjan Bhullar).
Only time will tell if 'Reug Reug' or Aliakbari is next to challenge Malykhin for his ONE heavyweight MMA throne.
