"Nothing compares to that" - Three-division world champion Anatoly Malykhin explains his most important belt

The first-ever three-division ONE MMA world champion Anatoly Malykhin has revealed how much he valued winning his first world championship in the world's largest martial arts promotion.

He told ONE in an interview:

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"The first title, of course, is a dream — you're working towards it: all those training sessions, imagining that belt, coming to the competition and touching it, picturing it around your waist. Nothing compares to that first title. Now, my goal is to prove I'm the real champion, unmatched. This victory will be just as sweet as the first one... well, maybe the first was a bit sweeter."

Malykhin claimed his first crown in ONE, the interim heavyweight MMA world championship, with a second-round knockout of Kirill Grishenko in February 2022.

After taking the ONE light heavyweight MMA crown from Reinier de Ridder in December of that year, Malykhin ascended to undisputed heavyweight MMA world champion status by finishing Arjan Bhullar in their June 2023 unification bout.

This past March at ONE 166, 'Sladkiy' won the middleweight MMA world championship from de Ridder via TKO.

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Anatoly Malykhin headed for first defense of heavyweight MMA crown

Anatoly Malykhin is set to defend the ONE heavyweight MMA world championship against Oumar Kane at ONE 169: Malykhin vs. 'Reug Reug' on Friday, Nov. 8, inside the Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.

The Golden Team athlete and 'Reug Reug' have developed a rivalry over the past months due to their public callouts of one another, which has only gotten even more vicious as time passed.

In just a few days, the two behemoths can finally settle their differences and determine who the true king of the 265-pound MMA division is at ONE 169.

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

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