“All these guys called me a fake champion” - Anatoly Malykhin says ‘Reug Reug’ will suffer same fate as Reinier de Ridder, Amir Aliakbari

Anatoly Malykhin reminded Oumar Kane about the fate of opponents who branded him a 'fake champion'.

The Russian conqueror has exchanged some unpleasantries with 'Reug Reug' ahead of their heavyweight MMA world title clash in the main event of ONE 169 this coming Friday, Nov. 8, at 'The Mecca of Muay Thai' Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.

The fearless Senegalese challenger even went as far as questioning the triple champ's undefeated reign, which certainly did not sit well with Malykhin.

In an exclusive interview with ONE Championship, 'Sladkiy' said he'll have the last laugh, just like did against his other high-profile adversaries.

"Of course, there is some tension. This fighter resembles [Amir] Aliakbari who also called me fake, and [Reinier] De Ridder called me fake. All these guys called me a fake champion. But as a result, all of them ended up on the canvas."

If there's one thing we know by now, it's never wise to poke the bear, especially one as powerful as Anatoly Malykhin.

The Kemerovo, Russia native disposed of de Ridder (twice) and Aliakbari in highlight-reel fashion, as part of his unreal 14 finishes in 14 career fights.

Anatoly Malykhin jokes about the only thing he must watch out for against 'Reug Reug'

Anatoly Malykhin has made it clear that he has little respect for 'Reug Reug's fighting prowess, or in this case, lack thereof. The three-division MMA kingpin is confident that the speed and power of his strikes will overwhelm Kane, while his grappling pedigree will make the challenger quit.

That said, Malykhin quipped that the only thing he'll be wary of is 'Reug Reug's tendency to break the rules.

'Sladkiy' told ONE:

"He only pulls down the shorts of his opponents in every fight and gets hold of their gloves, this is what he does well. This is his thing, this is what he does well. This is what you need to be afraid of and avoid: losing your shorts!"

ONE 169: Malykhin vs. Reug Reug will air live in US Primetime free of charge for Prime Video subscribers in North America.