Anatoly Malykhin adopts popular diet to keep lean and strong: “I cut out carbs completely”

Anatoly Malykhin is changing things up after suffering the first setback of his mixed martial arts career. Last year, 'Sladkiy' made history, becoming the first-ever simultaneous three-division champion in MMA history, winning the ONE heavyweight, light heavyweight, and middleweight world titles. Unfortunately, Malykhin's triple-champ status didn't last long.

The Russian juggernaut surrendered his heavyweight crown to Senegalese sensation Oumar Kane at ONE 169—coming up on the wrong side of a split decision.

Vowing to take back the heavyweight title, Malykhin has made some changes to his training regimen. More specifically, his diet. About the same, he told ONE:

"As for my diet, I switched to keto. I cut out carbs completely. And so far, I feel great."

Thus far, ONE Championship has not announced the returns of either Malykhin or 'Reug Reug,' but considering the closely contested nature of their inaugural scrap, it seems like the two will run it back sometime in 2025.

At least, we hope so.

Aside from his hopes of taking back the title he lost last year, Malykhin still has two belts to defend—the ONE middleweight and light heavyweight MMA world championships.

Asked when he'd like to return, Malykhin made it clear that he's good to go. ONE just has to make the call. The 37-year-old added:

"I've never turned down a fight. If I'm healthy and not injured, I'm in. I've always been hungry to fight. There's no 'perfect' date for me. I'm ready whenever ONE needs me."

Do you want to see Malykhin run it back with 'Reug Reug' in 2025 or should the Russian fan favorite take on a challenger for one of his two other titles?

If you missed any of the action, ONE Championship fans in the United States and Canada can watch the ONE 169: Malykhin vs. Reug Reug replay on demand via Amazon Prime Video.