“The bonus machine” - Anatoly Malykhin gives an ultra-specific knockout prediction for world title defense against ‘Reug Reug’
Fighters often give out the round they want to send their opponents to dreamland, but Anatoly Malykhin is one to give the precise minute.
The reigning three-division MMA world champion will defend his ONE heavyweight MMA world title against Oumar 'Reug Reug' Kane in the main event of the stacked ONE 169 card on November 8 in US primetime at the historic Lumpinee Stadium.
In an interview with ONE Championship, Malykhin said he'll need just three minutes to knock Kane out before collecting another bonus check from ONE Championship CEO Chatri Sityodtong.
The ONE middleweight, light heavyweight, and heavyweight MMA world champion said:
"The bonus machine is me. I’ll knock him out in the third minute, just like I said before."
Anatoly Malykhin has been in a habit of collecting bonuses every time he contended for a world title in ONE Championship.
The Russian knockout machine collected four bags from the promotion, two of which were the rare $100,000 checks.
His first $100,000 bonus was when he knocked out Kirill Grishenko for the ONE interim heavyweight MMA world title at ONE: Bad Blood in February 2022.
Malykhin then had his second six-figure bonus when he mauled Reinier de Ridder for the ONE light heavyweight MMA world title at ONE on Prime Video 5 in December of that same year.
'Sladkiy' now looks to secure another bonus when he defends his heavyweight MMA throne against 'Reug Reug' in Bangkok.
ONE 169 is ONE Championship's final numbered card of the year and is available live and free to all Prime Video subscribers in the United States and Canada.
Anatoly Malykhin says growing up in Kemerovo gave him his invincible spirit
Anatoly Malykhin's fighting arts may have been developed in the gyms, but his indomitable spirit was forged through his unforgiving childhood in Russia.
The Russian superstar grew up in Kemerovo in Southwest Russia, and it was a place Malykhin credited for creating his dogged personality.
Malykhin said in an interview with ONE Championship:
"It's my life path and the place I was born, my city. My city and the place I started from. This life experience. I know what I had to go through in my life, and I know where I don't want to return. This makes me invincible. I'm very much afraid of poverty."