Anatoly Malykhin narrowly missed out at ONE 169. The former heavyweight champion of ONE Championship lost the ONE Heavyweight MMA World Title to “Reug Reug” Oumar Kane in a split decision after a tough 25 minutes. “Sladkiy” discussed his performance after the defeat and praised the new champion.
“The training camp went well. We trained hard and followed the plan, but on fight day, I just didn’t feel physically at my best. It’s hard to explain, but my body wasn’t right that morning. It was his day. He’s a strong opponent, and he did his job well,” Malykhin told ONE.
Despite being close to retaining the belt, the Russian powerhouse ended up with a loss. Feeling his cardio fading, Malykhin is determined to return stronger.
“My hands and arms felt heavy. I ran out of energy. I tried to take him down, but it didn’t work. My body didn’t respond as I wanted. He won, so I see it as motivation to train harder,” Malykhin remarked.
Winning titles in three divisions came at a cost for Malykhin. He mentioned the toll of constantly moving between weight classes contributing to his fatigue. Recognizing the physical strain of his pursuit for a historic legacy, Malykhin is already planning improvements across all areas.
“I’m starting fresh. I’ll focus on wrestling, boxing, and add more strength training. Moving between weight classes weakened my legs, so I need to work on that. I also plan to focus more on wrestling and train with heavyweight freestyle wrestlers in Southern Ossetia to sharpen my skills. But first, I’ll review the fight with my team, analyze my mistakes, and make necessary adjustments,” the ONE Light Heavyweight and Middleweight World Champion shared.
With a close loss, the question of a rematch arises. Malykhin is eager for a chance to reclaim the heavyweight title, but nothing is confirmed yet, and he still has two other divisions to consider.
“I hope [the rematch] happens soon, but it’s not set in stone. It’s still 50-50,” Malykhin mentioned.
Malykhin and “Reug Reug” had intense exchanges throughout the event week. Despite their competitive rivalry, their relationship is respectful. However, “Sladkiy” made it clear he was not ready to be friendly with the man who handed him his first defeat.
“It’s all about the sport, and our relationship is professional. He won that night, but we both aim to be ONE World Champions. We’re both competitors striving for the top, so we are not friends,” Malykhin emphasized.
