3 ONE Championship heavyweights who could box Tyson Fury

Tyson Fury is one of the greatest heavyweights in boxing ever. His electric performances against Deontay Wilder and wins over Derek Chisora and the great Wladimir Klitschko will forever ring through the pages of boxing history.

There’s been much talk of crossover boxing and MMA bouts recently, especially with UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou chasing a lucrative and high profile showdown with Tyson Fury himself. However, 'The Predator' isn’t the only MMA heavyweight who could give Fury a run for his money.

Across the pond, there are a slew of ONE Championship heavyweight talents who would love the opportunity to trade hands against 'The Gypsy King'.

In fact, the Singapore-based promotion has recently made a concerted effort to beef up its heavyweight division, adding a steady stream of names to compete for Asia’s largest martial arts organization.

Let’s take a look at a handful of guys who could step outside of the Circle for a brief moment and exchange leather in the boxing ring.

Here are three ONE Championship heavyweights who could potentially box Tyson Fury.

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#3. Kirill Grishenko vs. Tyson Fury

Kirill Grishenko is a wrestler at heart, but more often than not, his boxing combinations and Muay Thai prowess have taken him across the finish line.

There are plenty of heavyweights to choose from in the promotion's 120.2kg division. However, the Belarusian kicks off this list as he has a good heart to fight and seems very comfortable fighting in any situation.

In his most recent outing, Grishenko dominated Dustin Joynson with his striking dexterity in the second and third rounds. The 30-year-old undefeated tank even threw knees and jab-uppercut combinations that his foe perhaps did not expect.

He was willing to stand and bang with the lanky Canadian and that ultimately earned him a unanimous decision win. If he'd be willing to trade heavy leather like that against Tyson Fury, fans would be in for an absolute slugfest.

At 193cm, Grishenko is the tallest athlete on this list. He would stand a larger chance of catching Fury. The Englishman, however, would still tower over the MMA star given his 206cm stature.

Grishenko would have enter the pocket with caution. If there is one thing he'd need to look out for, it is Fury’s jab. This is his weapon to break down opponents. ‘The Gypsy King’ throws off quick jabs aimed at the skull and body that ruins his rival’s tempo. He uses it brilliantly and, coupled with his power punching and quick feet, Grishenko would be in for a rough day in the office.

However, anything can happen in a boxing match. Kirill Grishenko vs. Tyson Fury would certainly be an entertaining battle should the Belarusian be able to withstand the Manchester-born boxer's near-perfect skills in the ‘sweet science'.

#2. Kang Ji Won vs. Tyson Fury

Everyone knows ‘Mighty Warrior’ Kang Ji Won packs tremendous power in his punches. With that in mind, it would be interesting to see how his power would stack up against a world-class heavyweight boxer like Tyson Fury.

The South Korean is patient in attack and often waits for the perfect opening before he throws huge bombs at his opponent. If he were to get into a tango against Tyson Fury, however, Kang would need a larger appetite to strike first and would have to do so with power.

Tyson Fury is fluid in the ring. He loves to move and shimmy and often switches between stances to confuse his opponent. Kang would have a tough time pacing the fight or dictating the match. Were he to approach this fight with more instinct to attack, he could probably land a couple of strikes and perhaps trouble ‘The Gypsy King'.

‘Mighty Warrior’ is wise enough to know he could not stand still and let boxing's heavyweight star unload with strikes. However, if he were to get caught in that situation, his chin seems built enough to absorb power. He ate powerful right hands in his fight against Amir Aliakbari and Mehdi Barghi, but Fury is a different story altogether.

When it comes to raw punching ability, there are none in the sport today who master it like Tyson Fury. The Englishman combines his skillful fists and rhythm-breaking strikes to repeatedly trick opponents.

If Kang completed a proper boxing-only camp and were to be given some solid stamina-improving workouts to increase his gas tank in later rounds, he would be able to put up a decent performance against the 33-year-old heavyweight slugger.

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#1. Anatoly Malykhin vs. Tyson Fury

Tyson Fury loves a good scrap. He flourishes when fighting in close range or going up against someone that will equally throw volume and power. Because of that, the Singapore-based promotion’s Russian heavyweight powerhouse Anatoly ‘Sladkiy’ Malykhin would be a good opponent for ‘The Gypsy King'.

Malykhin, like Fury, has shown the world how he can be an absolute monster in striking when called to duty. In his two fights in the promotion, the 34-year-old has outclassed his opponents, punishing Alexandre Machado and following that performance with another dominant outing against Amir Aliakbari.

The 34-year-old heavyweight martial artist's boxing was not apparent in his debut. However, in the lead-up to his clash against Iran’s grappling wizard, Malykhin warned that his fists would do the talking. He stuck true to his word and troubled Aliakbari with his boxing.

He stayed very light on his feet despite being a heavyweight fighter, threw overhand rights behind his left hooks and was pretty accurate with his truck-like fists. His jab-cross combinations were on show too. Eventually, it was his left hook that sent his rival to the canvas.

Malykhin is not afraid to get hit and that is an important attribute he would need if he were to face off against ‘The Gypsy King’. Fury has almost 20 centimeters of height advantage over the Russian fighter, but if Malykhin could work his way in and sting the English champion with body shots, fans would be in for a real treat.

Catching Fury is easier said than done, but if there is a heavyweight MMA fighter who does stand a decent chance, Malykhin’s name should be on top of that list.