“He’ll try the same tricks with me” - Anatoly Malykhin eager to teach ‘dirty fighter’ ‘Reug Reug’ a humbling lesson
Anatoly Malykhin accused 'Reug Reug' Oumar Kane of being "a dirty fighter." At ONE 169, Malykhin looks to further his legacy by defending his undisputed heavyweight MMA world title for the first time. The highly-touted three-division champion could make another massive statement if he can emerge victorious against 'Reug Reug,' who holds a 5-1 record in the division, including three KO/TKOs.
Malykhin recently appeared in an interview with ONE, and he wasn't complimentary of his upcoming opponent's skills. The Russian powerhouse went on to accuse 'Reug Reug' of being a dirty fighter, which he explained by saying:
"This guy doesn’t know how to wrestle; he only knows how to hold the body and grab the gloves — a dirty fighter. He’ll try the same tricks with me, but it’ll be hard for him to get close because I hit much harder than anyone he’s ever faced."
Anatoly Malykhin vs. 'Reug Reug' Oumar Kane will headline ONE 169 inside the historic Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand. The Nov. 8 event featuring three world title fights can be seen live and for free by North American and Canadian viewers with an active Amazon Prime Video subscription.
Anatoly Malykhin and 'Reug Reug' Oumar Kane enter ONE 169 with heated rivalry
Anatoly Malykhin and 'Reug Reug' Oumar Kane initially didn't seem to have an issue with each other besides a natural competitive fire. With that said, the ONE 169 fight week has featured several heated encounters between the heavyweight giants, making Friday's main event more intriguing.
Firstly, the ONE 169 headliners ran into each other at the fighters' hotel during media day. Malykhin interrupted 'Reug Reug' and claimed he would knock him out in their fight, leading to the latter pushing the three-division MMA world champion.
Check out the hotel altercation between the ONE 169 headliners below:
Later in the week, Malykhin and 'Reug Reug' met for a faceoff that nearly escalated into a brawl. Needless to say, the lack of respect for each other has made this heavyweight MMA title fight a must-see clash of power.
Check out the faceoff for the ONE 169 main event below: