“Nobody was ever able to take me to the ground” - Anatoly Malykhin says Russia’s brutal wrestling scene perfected his takedown defense
It cannot be denied that Anatoly Malykhin is practically unstoppable in ONE Championship, and that brutal style of his was forged within the unforgiving landscape of Russian wrestling.
The reigning ONE middleweight, light heavyweight, and heavyweight MMA world champion is a product of Russia's cut-throat wrestling system, and it's this strict environment that Malykhin credits for his attitude.
Malykhin told Morning Kombat's Brian Campbell that he always took pride in his unblemished takedown defense, a statistical figure that became a byproduct of both mental and physical preparation.
'Sladkiy' said he would've been ostracized if another man took him down in a fight, especially if that man was judo black belt, Reinier de Ridder.
"The guys would just shut down the door in front of me if a Judo guy could take me down," said Anatoly Malykhin. "I have 100 percent effective defense against takedowns. Nobody, when I trained at the gym, nobody was ever able to take me down to the ground."
That mental fortitude fueled Malykhin to a perfect 14-0 MMA record cuminating in a third-round technical knockout finish of de Ridder at ONE 166 in Qatar for the ONE middleweight MMA world title.
Malykhin, a Master of Sport in Freestyle Wrestling in Russia, was practically impenetrable in his grappling exchanges against de Ridder at Lusail Sports Arena.
Although the 6-foot-4 de Ridder managed to land push kicks and jabs from distance, his patented grappling never troubled Malykhin.
The Russian juggernaut ultimately put enough pressure to secure the third-round finish and become the first-ever three-division world champion in ONE Championship history.
Anatoly Malykhin boasts of his perfect 300-0 street fight record
If Anatoly Malykhin's collection of world titles isn't terrifying enough, his unofficial perfect street fighting record could be the cherry on top of a diabolical cake.
Malykhin revealed in the same interview with Morning Kombat that he often found himself in a scuffle while growing up in Russia.
Outside of the wrestling schools, Malykhin would often get in trouble in the streets and this is where the young 'Sladkiy' made a reputation among the youth of Kemerovo:
"Okay, and there is one point I want to add to my record. I also have another record which is 300-0, and that's my street fight record. I've been fighting since childhood, and anybody can tell it's not very easy to be against Anatoly Malykhin."
Watch Malykhin's entire interview below: