'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/2wBDAAYEBQYFBAYGBQYHBwYIChAKCgkJChQODwwQFxQYGBcUFhYaHSUfGhsjHBYWICwgIyYnKSopGR8tMC0oMCUoKSj/2wBDAQcHBwoIChMKChMoGhYaKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCj/wgARCAAHAAoDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAFgABAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQH/8QAFQEBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQT/2gAMAwEAAhADEAAAAIM4C/8A/8QAHhAAAgICAgMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQMCBAARBTESITL/2gAIAQEAAT8ApVKVGfF17dJcl2a6psKiIz82j2evroDRiMuuFa49EHsEFMlAAk70Dn//xAAXEQEAAwAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACAAER/9oACAECAQE/ACrJ2f/EABoRAAICAwAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAECAAMEQdH/2gAIAQMBAT8AbGR7TXocE//Z'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Anatoly Malykhin had added motivation for preventing Reinier de Ridder from taking him down in their rematch.
In December 2022, Malykhin dethroned de Ridder of the ONE light heavyweight MMA world title with a first-round knockout. Six months later, the hard-hitting Russian continued his reign of terror by dispatching Anatoly Malykhin for heavyweight gold to become a two-division king.
On March 1, 'Sladkiy' fought in his latest ONE bout, a rematch against de Ridder for the latter's middleweight MMA throne. Malykhin defeated 'The Dutch Knight' again by overwhelming him with his power before ending the fight in round three.
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Malykhin recently did an interview with Mortal Kombat to discuss his run to become a three-division world champion at ONE 166. The 36-year-old had this to say about his rematch with de Ridder:
"Well, the pressure was on for a very very good reason. Well, because I did freestyle wrestling back in Russia with these guys who I used to train with in freestyle wrestling back in Russia. Had De Ridder had a chance to take me down, I wouldn't be able to set my foot in the gym any longer."
The ONE 166: Qatar replay, featuring Malykhin vs. De Ridder 2 in the main event, can be seen for free by North American viewers with an active Amazon Prime Video subscription.
Watch Malykhin's interview with Mortal Kombat below:
What's next for three-division MMA world champion Anatoly Malykhin?
It's unclear which of Anatoly Malykhin's three MMA world titles he will defend next. With that said, there are rumors of 'Sladkiy' moving back up to heavyweight, where two potential top contenders await.
Firstly, Amir Aliakbari and Malykhin have an intense rivalry that could make for an intriguing rematch. They first fought in February 2021, with 'Sladkiy' knocking out Aliakbari in round one. The Iranian grappler is now riding a four-fight winning streak.
Meanwhile, 'Reug Reug' Oumar Kane has a strong argument for the next heavyweight title shot. He last fought in August 2023 and extended his winning streak to three by defeating Marcus 'Buchecha' Almeida by unanimous decision.
Only time will tell what's next for Malykhin, the most dangerous fighter on the ONE roster.
