The next contender for the heavyweight MMA throne could very well be determined at ONE 169: Malykhin vs. Reug Reug on Nov. 8.
Before Anatoly Malykhin defends his heavyweight MMA strap against 'Reug Reug' Oumar Kane, a clash of styles between Brazilian jiu-jitsu royalty Marcus 'Buchecha' Almeida and Greco-Roman wrestling specialist Amir Aliakbari will go down inside the fabled grounds of at Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.
After starting his ONE career with two straight losses, Amir Aliakbari has risen like a phoenix with four consecutive impressive victories.
The Iranian monster's destructive power has been well-documented, with 10 of his 14 career wins coming by way of terrifying knockouts.
The 36-year-old veteran has found a way to use his overwhelming wrestling to deliver brutal punishment on the ground, which we've seen in his stoppage wins over Mauro Cerilli, Brandon Vera, and Dustin Joynson.
Aliakbari is also coming off a win against former heavyweight MMA world champion Arjan Bhullar at ONE 166 last March.
But to set up his coveted rematch with Malykhin, Aliakbari must first get past arguably the most decorated BJJ athlete in the world.
'Buchecha' came like a whirlwind in his MMA transition with four straight stoppage wins to begin his career.
The Brazilian icon bested the likes of Anderson 'Braddock' Silva, Kang Ji Won, Simon Carson, and Kirill Grishenko, before seeing his undefeated record snapped by 'Reug Reug' in his last outing.
Something has to give when these two physical specimens collide at ONE 169.
Confirmed bouts for ONE 169: Malyhin vs. Reug Reug
Several world titles will be up for grabs in arguably one of the biggest martial arts cards of the year. Here are some of the confirmed bouts for this developing card:
Anatoly Malykhin vs. 'Reug Reug' Oumar Kane (heavyweight MMA world championship)
Rodtang Jitmuangnon vs. Jacob Smit (flyweight Muay Thai world title)
Jackie Buntan vs. Anissa Meksen (inaugural strawweight kickboxing world title)
Adriano Moraes vs. Danny Kingad (flyweight MMA)
Eddie Abasolo vs. Mohamed Younes Rabah (featherweight Muay Thai)