“It was awesome” - Anatoly Malykhin shares experience playing football with Rodtang in Thailand
Reigning and undisputed ONE heavyweight, light heavyweight, and middleweight MMA world champion 'Sladkiy' Anatoly Malykhin is a malicious mauler when he's inside the cage. But outside of it, he's just a fun-loving guy who likes to enjoy himself.
Always with a huge smile beaming across his face, Malykhin maintains a positive attitude that rubs off on anyone he comes in contact with. Which is why it comes as no surprise that he's always in the media, doing various things outside of the fight game.
Just recently, Malykhin was in Bangkok, Thailand, playing a soccer game with ONE flyweight Muay Thai world champion 'The Iron Man' Rodtang Jitmuangnon.
Rodtang loves to play soccer on his free time, and it's always an event. Malykhin got to experience what it's like playing with 'The Iron Man' firsthand.
Speaking to ONE Championship in a recent interview, 'Sladkiy' detailed the experience. The 36-year-old said:
"There was a real show there! TV broadcast, cameras, commentators, spotlights. I thought we would just play in a hangar, but it was a whole event. It was a great game. It was awesome."
Anatoly Malykhin is currently back in Phuket, Thailand, working himself back into fight shape for a potential appearance in the Circle in the second half of 2024.
Anatoly Malykhin says playing soccer with Rodtang is like getting ready for a big fight: "My heart was pounding"
Triple champ 'Sladkiy' Anatoly Malykhin is no stranger to performing on the big stage under the bright lights in ONE Championship, especially for big-ticket fights. But playing soccer with Rodtang was a similar experience, according to the Russian superstar.
He told ONE Championship:
“My heart was pounding like before a fight, but I went out on the field for the second half, and we immediately went on the attack. With my help, we scored a goal!”
Stay tuned to Sportskeeda MMA for all the latest news and updates on Anatoly Malykhin's next fight.