Three-division ONE world champion Anatoly Malykhin has forged a destructive path in the world’s largest martial arts organization, and his dominance has put an inescapable target on his back.
With the middleweight, light heavyweight, and heavyweight MMA belts in his possession, many ONE Championship stars have his name in their mouths.
The latest appears to be from unbeaten middleweight Shamil Erdogan, who called out Malykhin after brutalising former two-weight king Aung La N Sang en route to a second-round TKO win at ONE 168: Denver on Saturday, September 7, inside Denver, Colorado’s Ball Arena.
“Sladkiy” heard Erdogan’s words and responded with praise of the Turkish powerhouse’s performance, before going on to promise he’d be prepared for anything that comes his way should they ever meet.
“It was a good fight, great fight, an excellent win for Shamil – bright, dynamic, and he’s got a strong punch and solid grappling,” he admitted.
“But I’m ready for all of that against any opponent. When it comes to a fight with me, I’ll be ready for grappling, striking, and I’ll be in top shape physically.”
Malykhin is currently preparing to defend his heavyweight crown for the first time against “Reug Reug” Oumar Kane in the main event of ONE 169: Atlanta on November 9th. So, nothing will likely come from the callout any time soon.
However, a match between the pair would certainly be intriguing, given the fact that Erdogan holds a win in wrestling over Malykhin from long before either of them competed in mixed martial arts.
The 10-0 star clearly believes he can score another victory over “Sladkiy,” but much has changed since their last meeting.
Malykhin’s triple crown and 14-0 professional slate make him one of the most dominant athletes in all of MMA right now, and he is confident he would put down Erdogan’s challenge and remain on top if they met.
“If Shamil says I came into his territory, then he’s stepped into mine. I’m the champion here, and ONE Championship is my home. I’m ready for any challenge,” he asserted.
“We don’t need a new champion; we love the old one. Shamil, nothing’s going to change. It’s going to be like always – and still.”
