"I have a good relationship with him" - Shamil Erdogan will set affinity for Anatoly Malykhin aside in possible showdown
Shamil Erdogan is eyeing the top of his weight class in ONE Championship, which is currently just out of his reach. The undefeated middleweight knows what earning a win in his next fight could do for him, and that presents some issues.
Getting his hand raised at ONE 168 could see him emerge as the next title challenger for Anatoly Malykhin's middleweight title once he returns to this weight class.
For Erdogan, facing Malykhin is both a fight he dreams of and an opponent he respects. While this doesn't mean he is chasing this opportunity any less, it does mean competing with a competitor with whom he shares a similar background.
He spoke about this in a recent interview with ONE Championship, where he looked ahead to the Ball Arena in Denver on September 6:
"I would like to face Anatoly Malykhin. I have a good relationship with him, and I know him from the times when we competed in freestyle wrestling."
ONE 168 is a task that is easier said than done for Shamil Erdogan
Shamil Erdogan knows the importance of his next fight due to the potential title implications hanging over it.
However, many competitors have entered fights with Aung La N Sang, knowing that he is their golden ticket to bigger and better things. The issue is that 'The Burmese Python' has a track record of maintaining his ground in the division and sending back hopeful contenders.
After defeating Fan Rong on his debut last year, Erdogan faces the toughest test possible outside of facing the champion himself.
A test that will show whether or not he belongs at this level of the division by taking on the former champion at ONE Championship's return to the United States.
Tickets for ONE 168: Denver are available here via Ticketmaster.