“He’s my brother” - Triple-champ Anatoly Malykhin shuts down idea of fighting Burmese legend Aung La N Sang
Anatoly Malykhin does not want to fight his "brother" Aung La N Sang.
Returning to the Circle at ONE 166 in Qatar on March 1, Malykhin — who already reigns as the light heavyweight and heavyweight MMA world champion — made history by becoming the first fighter to simultaneously claim a third world title, finishing Reinier de Ridder via third-round TKO to claim the ONE middleweight MMA world championship.
Since his history-making performance, fight fans are wondering what will come next for the Russian juggernaut. Speaking with the South China Morning Post's Andrew Whitelaw, 'Sladkiy' was asked bout a potential middleweight clash with former two-division world champion Aung La N Sang.
"I like Aung La. He's my friend," Malykhin said. "I wouldn't be fighting with him. He's my brother."
Reinier de Ridder won both the middleweight and light heavyweight belts from 'The Burmese Python' in back-to-back fights before surrendering them to Anatoly Malykhin.
With Aung La N Sang seemingly ruled out, who would you like to see 'Sladkiy' square off when he returns to the Circle in 2024?
Who's next for Anatoly Malykhin following ONE 166?
With three world titles to defend, there are a plethora of options for Anatoly Malykhin's next opponent, though two particular names in the heavyweight division stand out from the rest.
Also earning a big win at ONE 166, Iranian powerhouse Amir Aliakbari made it three-in-a-row inside Lusail Sports Arena with a victory over former heavyweight MMA world champion Arjan Bhullar. 'Singh' was afraid to engage for the majority of the contest, resulting in his disqualification due to timidity.
That may have put the former Greco-Roman wrestling world champion at the top of the contender's list, but not far behind is Senegalese standout Oumar Kane. 'Reug Reug' earned his fifth win in ONE with an entertaining performance against 17-time BJJ world champion Marcus 'Buchecha' Almeida in August.
But whether it's Kane, Aliakbari, or someone completely different, ONE Championship fans are sure to tune in every time Anatoly Malykhin steps inside the Circle.
If you missed any of the action or want to relive one of the most epic nights in ONE Championship history, you can watch the ONE 166: Qatar replay on demand via Amazon Prime Video in North America.