ONE Championship: “I’d give it a shot” - Anatoly Malykhin not closing the doors to a potential crossover to professional wrestling

Anatoly Malykhin would be interested in testing himself in professional wrestling. Malykhin, aged 37, has established himself as one of the greatest mixed martial artists in ONE Championship history.

The former three-division world champion lost his heavyweight throne in his last fight, but maintains his ONE middleweight and light heavyweight world titles.

'Sladkiy' has succeeded in every combat sport, partially due to his grappling background, which can be tested in the scripted world of professional wrestling.

While speaking to ONE, Malykhin had this to say about potentially attempting a run in professional wrestling.

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"No, I haven't thought about it. But I think I'd do alright. I've got a solid grappling base, I move well for a heavyweight, and I think I've got a bit of acting in me too. If they invited me — sure, I'd give it a shot. It'd be an interesting experience."

Anatoly Malykhin last fought in November 2024, suffering a split decision loss against 'Reug Reug' Oumar Kane for the ONE heavyweight title.

Before fighting Kane, the Russian powerhouse held an undefeated promotional record of 6-0, all wins by knockout across three divisions (middleweight, light heavyweight, and heavyweight).

Anatoly Malykhin analyzes heavyweight contender Ben Tynan

Anatoly Malykin has a responsibility to defend his middleweight and light heavyweight world titles shortly. Meanwhile, the two-division MMA world champion keeps an eye on the heavyweight division. During an interview with ONE, Malykhin had this to say about heavyweight contender Ben Tynan.

"He's a good guy. Solid, strong, good wrestling base. He puts a lot of focus on grappling. I’ve seen his fights — he's got cardio for all three rounds, solid takedowns. He's got decent wrestling skills, but nothing more than that."

Anatoly Malykhin's next heavyweight fight could be a rematch against 'Reug Reug' Oumar Kane. Another option would be a number one contender bout against Ben Tynan or Kirill Grishenko.

Tynan, a Canadian 31-year-old, has fought and finished his two opponents in ONE Championship: Kang Ji Won (Round 3 submission) and Duke Didier (Round 1 knockout).

As for Grishenko, the former interim title challenger is coming off wins against Kang (unanimous decision) and Mauro Cerilli (Round 1 TKO).

About the author

Jake Foley is a journalist at Sportskeeda, specializing in covering all forms of combat sports, including MMA, Boxing, Kickboxing, and Muay Thai. His passion is ignited by the exceptional fusion of physical and mental skills demanded by world-class fighters in these sports. Jake is captivated by the intricate mix of fierce determination and a modest mindset exhibited by athletes in these disciplines. He also finds the atmosphere of major championships, like the epic clash between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Conor McGregor, truly unparalleled.

Jake has earned his UFC credentials to cover the major events for Sportskeeda and has conducted several interviews.

Jake supports various teams across several professional sports, including the Las Vegas Raiders, Inter Miami, Norwich City, Miami Marlins, and Las Vegas Golden Knights. The sports moment Jake will never forget is Jon Jones dismantling Vladimir Matyushenko.

Since joining the SportsKeeda team, Jake has written 400 articles covering several MMA promotions, including the UFC and ONE Championship. He continues to work hard to maintain his journalistic integrity and tell the stories of fighters worldwide.

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Edited by Subham