Anatoly Malykhin says Amir Aliakbari’s "very serious" four-fight win streak makes him hot favorite for heavyweight title shot

Newly minted three-division MMA world champion Anatoly Malykhin is surveying next possible challengers for him, particularly for the ONE heavyeight world title. He is currently leaning toward streaking Iranian fighter Amir Aliakbari.

'Sladkiy' recently added the middleweight gold to his world title haul, which apart from the heavyweight title also includes the light heavyweight belt. He defeated Reinier de Ridder for it by way of a third-round TKO at ONE 166: Qatar on March 1.

In a recent interview with ONE Championship, Malykhin said that while he enjoys his latest title conquest, he has also begun the process of sizing up possible challengers for the heavyweight belt.

He said with Aliakbari on an impressive four-fight winning streak, the 36-year-old AAA Team standout emerges as the favorite to get the nod as the challenger, saying:

"Aliakbari certainly deserves his rematch more at the moment because he's got a four-fight winning streak and that's very serious."

If ever Aliakbari ends up facing Malykhin in a title clash, it will be a rematch of their clash in September 2021, when the Russian juggernaut knocked out the Tehran native in the opening round.

But since then, Aliakbari has gone undefeated in his next four fights, the most recent of his wins was at ONE 166 over former world champion Arjan Bhullar, who was given a red card and disqualified in the third round for inactivity.

The replay of ONE 166 is available for free to all Prime Video subscribers in the United States and Canada.

---

Anatoly Malykhin also keen on taking on 'Reug Reug' for heavyweight belt

Apart from Amir Aliakbari, Anatoly Malykhin is also keen on taking on the challenge presented by Senegalese fighter 'Reug Reug' Oumar Kane for the heavyweight belt.

'Reug Reug' is also on a roll, winning his last three fights, the latest against BJJ legend Marcus 'Buchecha' Almeida by unanimous decision last August.

In an interview with ONE Championship, Malykhin said regardless of who he faces next for the heavyweight belt between Aliakbari and 'Reug Reug', he will be ready, even making a joke that if he has to, he can take both of them at the same time.

He said:

"I am ready to go in the ring with both of them on the same night."

Anatoly Malykhin was the former interim heayweight world champion. He unified the heavyweight belts by defeating former champion Arjan Bhullar by TKO in the third round of their unification bout last June.