Regardless of being MMA’s first simultaneous three-division world champion Anatoly Malykhin is way from being a family title on the planet of fight sports activities. Nonetheless, a scrap with former UFC titleholder Francis Ngannou might change that.
Boasting a formidable 14-0 document with a 100% end price, ‘Sladkiy’ has established himself as one in all ONE Championship’s most formidable foes throughout three totally different divisions. Beginning with capturing the interim heavyweight belt, Malykhin inevitably traded in his short-term title for undisputed gold towards the division’s former king, Arjan Bhullar—however not earlier than turning into a two-division champion with a highlight-reel knockout of Reinier de Ridder to assert the sunshine heavyweight title.
Decided to etch his title within the historical past books, Malykhin dropped down two weight courses, difficult de Ridder for the middleweight title at ONE 166 in Qatar. Although it took him a bit bit longer the second time round, the consequence was the identical. Malykhin completed ‘The Dutch Knight’ in spherical three to assert his third strap.
Throughout a current interview with MMA Preventing, Malykhin addressed a possible matchup with Ngannou, suggesting that he may very well be “a giant downside” for the previous UFC-turned-PFL celebrity.
“I can say that my sturdy factors are that I transfer higher than him and likewise I do nice physique photographs,” Malykhin stated by way of an interpreter. “I feel me on my ft could be a giant downside for him.”
ONE CEO Chatri Sityodtong has little curiosity in seeing Anatoly Malykhin combat Francis Ngannou
A combat between Anatoly Malykhin and Francis Ngannou could be an enormous alternative for the 13-year-old promotion because it continues to combat for its piece of the pie within the U.S. market, however ONE Championship’s founder and CEO, Chatri Sityodtong, doesn’t look like terribly within the heavyweight superfight.
Commenting on the potential showdown, Sityodtong made it clear that the hurdles of a cross-promotion with PFL should not the difficulty. It’s that he merely doesn’t consider Ngannou could be a lot of a problem for his three-division star.
“I don’t suppose it might be aggressive,” Sityodtong informed MMA Preventing. “Francis has one-punch KO energy, nice putting, however he doesn’t have a floor sport. I imply, genuinely [he has] blue belt stage jiu-jitsu and no wrestling. Anatoly would take him down in a heartbeat. I don’t suppose it might be aggressive, simply to be very blunt, and I’m talking as a lifelong martial artist. I’m attempting to be as goal as attainable, and I’ve been doing 40 years of Muay Thai and 15 years of jiu-jitsu. I’m simply talking from private expertise and I’m attempting to be goal.
“Everyone knows in all of the totally different weight courses, wrestling is the one self-discipline that permits you to dictate the place the combat takes place. If a wrestler desires to maintain it standing, he retains it standing. If he desires to take you down or she desires to take you down, they’ll take you down, particularly a world-class wrestler — a Russian nationwide workforce wrestler like Anatoly Malykhin. [But] we’ve at all times been open [to cross promotion].”
Earlier than signing with the Skilled Fighters League, Ngannou met with Sityodtong to work out a possible deal. ONE in the end walked away from the negotiating desk with the CEO noting that he and ‘The Predator’ weren’t absolutely aligned on “non-financial issues.”
Contemplating it’s been greater than a yr since Ngannou signed with the PFL and he has but to make his Good Cage debut, it kinda appears like Sityodtong made the precise transfer.
