“I’ll take on anybody” - ‘Reug Reug’ says he’ll exact revenge on Kirill Grishenko once he’s done with Anatoly Malykhin
'Reug Reug' Oumar Kane isn't against a future rematch against Kirill Grishenko.
Kane made his ONE Championship debut in January 2021 with a professional MMA record of 1-0. The beloved Senegalese grappler started his promotional tenure with back-to-back first-round knockouts against Alain Ngalani and Patrick Schmid.
In April 2021, 'Reug Reug' endured his lone setback due to a second-round knockout loss against Grishenko. The 32-year-old has since silenced the doubters with three consecutive wins, earning him a heavyweight MMA title shot on Nov. 8 in the ONE 169 main event.
Before challenging Anatoly Malykhin, Kane appeared in an interview with ONE. He was asked about potentially avenging his lone promotional loss against Grishenko, leading to the following response:
"Yes, it’s up to the boss. Let me finish Anatoly first, take his two belts, then after that, I’ll take on anybody who wants to come. I’m ready."
Anatoly Malykhin vs. Oumar Kane will headline the event featuring three world title fights on Friday, Nov. 8. ONE 169 will take place inside the legendary Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, with North American viewers allowed to watch for free with an active Amazon Prime Video subscription.
Kirill Grishenko's path to rematch against 'Reug Reug' or Anatoly Malykhin
Following his win against 'Reug Reug,' Kirill Grishenko defeated Dustin Joynson by unanimous decision to build momentum. The Belarius-born heavyweight then endured a rough patch in his promotional tenure due to back-to-back losses inside the distance against Anatoly Malykhin and Marcus 'Buchecha' Almeida.
Grishenko has since fought once, defeating Kang Ji Won by unanimous decision in July, extending his promotional record to 3-2. Considering Kane is a respected heavyweight, Grishenko could be one or two wins away from a title shot.
Grishenko will keep a close eye on the ONE 169 main event between Malykhin and 'Reug Reug,' as both rematches are possible regardless of the result.
Grishenko might also be interested in another ONE 169 heavyweight matchup between 'Buchecha' and Amir Aliakbari. The top contenders could be fighting for a title shot, with both fighters being another potential future opponent for Grishenko, a former ONE interim heavyweight title challenger.