ONE Championship: “I’m ready for anything next”

Russian superstar Anatoly Malykhin is one victory away from reclaiming his heavyweight crown. He is also already plotting the next chapter of his ONE Championship empire.

The 38-year-old challenges “Reug Reug” Oumar Kane for the ONE heavyweight MMA world title in the headline attraction of The Inner Circle on Friday inside Bangkok’s Lumpinee Stadium.

“Sladkiy” lost his unbeaten record and the heavyweight strap to Kane in their first encounter at ONE 169 in November 2024, but the two-division ONE MMA world champion — light heavyweight and middleweight — revealed his ambitions extend well beyond a single rematch.

And the Russian wants every contender in every weight class to know exactly where he stands. Speaking to ONE Championship ahead of fight night, the Russian destroyer made his pre-match intentions abundantly clear.

“After I beat ‘Reug Reug,’ I’m ready to fight at (225 pounds) again,” Malykhin told the organization. “If there’s a strong opponent, I’m open to defending my belt. My weight is not a problem. I can make [weight] very easily. Right now, my focus is this fight, but I’m ready for anything next.”

Anatoly Malykhin says delay in booking a rematch against Reug Reug hasn’t dimmed his fire

In the interview with the world’s largest martial arts organization, Anatoly Malykhin was asked for his thoughts on the delay of this rematch.

The ONE light heavyweight and middleweight MMA world champion revealed that it has been business as usual, and he’s always prepared to take on anyone, anytime:

“For me, delays are nothing unusual. Whether ‘Reug Reug’ got injured or something else happened, it doesn’t really change anything for me. I just keep training, keep preparing, and keep living my dream.”

Anatoly Malykhin suffered a split decision loss to the Senegalese powerhouse in their first clash. Before that, the Russian enjoyed a 14-0 career run, with every victory coming inside the distance.

Fight fans can catch this epic ONE heavyweight MMA world title rematch and the entire blockbuster The Inner Circle card with a monthly subscription exclusively at live.onefc.com.