"I just want them to have no injuries" - Anatoly Malykhin just wants to enjoy ONE on Prime Video main event
The whole world will be tuning into ONE Championship this weekend, including ONE interim heavyweight world champion Anatoly Malykhin.
There are a handful of very big fights on tap, with four world titles on the line. However, the most anticipated bout of all is between reigning ONE flyweight world champion Adriano ‘Mikinho’ Moraes and 12-time former UFC flyweight king Demetrious ‘Mighty Mouse’ Johnson.
Moraes and Johnson will throw down in the main event of ONE on Prime Video 1, which will be broadcast live from the Singapore Indoor Stadium on Friday, August 26 on US primetime via Amazon Prime Video.
Malykhin, who is deep in training for his heavyweight world title unification bout against ONE heavyweight world champion Arjan Bhullar later this year, is most excited to see Moraes and Johnson run it back in one of the most intense rematches in flyweight history.
The 34-year-old told ONE Championship in a recent interview:
"Both are strong fighters. I am a fan of ‘Mighty Mouse’ – he is a great champion, who probably has already proved everything to everybody. I think it’s hard for him to find motivation. He’s made it. He was [a World] Champion. But for his weight, he might be getting old. The world is full of younger, talented, and hungry guys."
Anatoly Malykhin continued:
“At the same time, his opponent is much bigger.”
Anatoly Malykhin makes his pick
Adriano Moraes and Demetrious Johnson first met at ONE on TNT in 2021, where the Brazilian shocked the world by landing a devastating knee on ‘Mighty Mouse’ knocking out the former UFC champion. This marked the first time Johnson had ever been knocked out in his career.
Moraes would return at ONE X earlier this year to successfully defend his flyweight crown against Japan’s Yuya Wakamatsu. Meanwhile, Johnson fought on the same card in a special rules super-fight against ONE flyweight Muay Thai world champion Rodtang Jitmuangnon, which he won.
Now the two are ready to meet in the circle once again, and Anatoly Malykhin, like many, just can’t seem to figure out who will come away with the golden belt at the end of the night.
“I like Demetrious. The way he is, he is a good guy, a family man. I’ll just watch this fight and won’t be rooting for anybody. I just want them to have no injuries. They fight, someone wins, and they go their separate ways.”
Tune in on August 26 to watch the action and drama unfold.