"He's an old guy" - 'Reug Reug' looks to "smash" aging veteran Anatoly Malykhin to take heavyweight throne

ONE heavyweight MMA star Oumar 'Reug Reug' Kane is not just gunning for the 265-pound crown that three-division MMA king Anatoly Malykhin holds but also the ONE light heavyweight MMA world championship.

Ahead of him challenging 'Sladkiy' for the ONE heavyweight MMA world championship at ONE 169 on Friday, Nov. 8, inside the Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, Kane had this to say in an interview with the Bangkok Post:

"Anatoly, he's an old guy. Now, he's 37 years [old]. You have a new generation that's coming. I'm going to take him down. I'm going to smash this guy [and] after [this] I'm going to go [at him] again [at] 100kg. I'm going to smash him."

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Blessed with an imposing physique, the Senegalese star relies greatly on his world-class wrestling abilities to gradually break down his opponents and eventually overwhelm them.

Kane cemented his impending opportunity at the ONE heavyweight MMA crown by producing three finishes in five victories, capped off by back-to-back unanimous decision wins over Jasur Mirzamukhamedov in December 2022 and Marcus 'Buchecha' Almeida in August the following year.

'Reug Reug' giddy at opportunity to showcase his striking power in ONE

While some fans expect Oumar Kane to trust in his wrestling abilities to earn the upset over Anatoly Malykhin at ONE 169, his vastly improved striking skills could ultimately become the difference-maker.

Speaking to ONE, the Black Panther Sports and Triple3 MMA representative said:

"Of course. I've always loved MMA. It makes for good fights. I like it too much. I can use my power to punch people and I hope it will make me a champion."

ONE 169 will air live and free to all Prime Video subscribers in the United States and Canada.