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Anatoly Malykhin took great pleasure in proving Reinier de Ridder wrong not once but twice.
Today, the Russian juggernaut is MMA's first and only simultaneous three-division champion, claiming the ONE heavyweight, light heavyweight, and middleweight world titles over the last couple of years.
The latter two belts he took off of de Ridder via a pair of highlight-reel knockouts against 'The Dutch Knight' at ONE on Prime Video 5 and ONE 166: Qatar, respectively.
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Looking back on his impressive performances against de Ridder, 'Sladkiy' was thrilled to have made the Dutchman pay for his attempts to discredit Malykhin's title reigns.
"[Reinier] De Ridder once said at a press conference that my belts were not real, and by this, he motivated me to prove to the whole world that [I am the real deal]," Malykhin told ONE Championship in a recent interview.
There is no doubt that all three of Malykhin's belts are very real—but if he hopes to stay a three-division MMA world champion, he'll have to get through perhaps his toughest test to date this Friday night.
Anatoly Malykhin meets 'Reug Reug' in ONE 169 headliner on November 8
On November 8, ONE Championship heads back to the iconic Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, for a loaded ONE 169 event headlined by a trio of massive ONE world title tilts—the biggest being a showdown between Anatoly Malykhin who puts his ONE heavyweight MMA world championship on the line against Senegalese standout 'Reug Reug' Oumar Kane.
It will be Kane's first time challenging for a ONE world title—an opportunity he earned with a dominant unanimous decision victory over 17-time BJJ world champion Marcus 'Buchecha' Almeida at ONE Fight Night 13 last year.
Who comes out on top when two of the most well-rounded heavyweights in the world collide on martial arts' biggest global stage?
Fans in the United States and Canada can watch ONE 169: Malykhin vs. ‘Reug Reug’ live on Amazon Prime Video on Friday, November 8 in U.S. primetime.
