Wrestling machine Mansur Malachiev says he should “fight for the belt” after he’s done with Bokang Masunyane in Bangkok
Mansur Malachiev believes he's due for a shot at gold if he gets past Bokang Masunyane this Friday.
The Russian grappling machine will take on Masunyane in a pivotal strawweight MMA matchup at ONE Fight Night 25 on Oct. 4, US primetime, at the historic Lumpinee Stadium.
In an interview with ONE Championship, the number-five ranked Malachiev said he should get a shot at the ONE strawweight MMA world title if he beats Masunyane, the number two contender in the division, in Bangkok.
Mansur Malachiev said:
"After the win, I deserve to fight for the belt, and it will be fair as Bokang is number two in the rankings.”
Malachiev holds two wins in ONE Championship, is 12-1 overall in his career, and is coming off a clinical unanimous decision win over former ONE strawweight MMA world champion Yosuke Saruta at ONE Fight Night 19.
His lone loss in his career, though, came at the hands of reigning ONE strawweight MMA world champion Joshua Pacio when they crossed paths at ONE Fight Night 15.
Masunyane, meanwhile, is 4-1 in ONE Championship and 10-1 overall. The South African dynamo's sole defeat was a submission loss to ONE interim strawweight MMA world champion Jarred Brooks at ONE 156.
Nevertheless, Masunyane has already recovered from the defeat and is coming off back-to-back wins over Keito Yamakita and Hiroba Minowa.
ONE Fight Night 25, just like all of ONE Championship's Amazon cards, is available live and free to all Prime Video subscribers in the United States and Canada.
Bokang Masunyane expects a grappling showdown against Mansur Malachiev
Bokang Masunyane and Mansur Malachiev are two of the best pure grapplers in ONE Championship, and 'Little Giant' believes his wrestling will blend well with the Dagestani's brand of mat work in Bangkok.
In an interview with ONE Championship, Masunyane said superb grappling will be on full display once he steps between the ropes against Malachiev this Friday:
"Mansur is a very good grappler. He’s phenomenal. He’s got some great skills. His wrestling game is very good. I feel the same about my skills. My wrestling and grappling play a big part in it.”