Anatoly Malykhin says he’s the ‘happiest human in the world’ after unifying heavyweight belts

Russian juggernaut Anatoly Malykhin has a lot going his way of late and he could not be happier.

‘Sladkiy’ recently realized his dream of having his own training facility in Thailand. He has named it Dobrynya, a Slavic word which translates to “kind, gentle,” which is the kind of atmosphere, among other things, that him and his partners want to prevail in the gym.

Apart from serving as his own training space, Anatoly Malykhin said the facility is also designed to give Thai and Russian athletes a venue to share their knowledge and jointly develop their game.

Last week, the 35-year-old former interim heavyweight champion added another milestone in his career, unifying the ONE heavyweight belts by defeating erstwhile division king Arjan Bhullar by technical knockout (punches) in the third round of their unification bout at ONE Friday Fights 22 in Bangkok.

The win made Anatoly Malykhin a bona-fide double ONE world champion as he is the reigning ONE light heavyweight world champion as well.

Speaking to the South China Morning Post after his successful conquest, Anatoly Malykhin shared his state of mind at the moment, saying:

“I’m happy that I have my own space [to train] now. I’m really happy. I’m the happiest human in the world.”

Watch the interview below:

At ONE Friday Fights 22, ‘Sladkiy’ showed his trademark striking power, dominating Arjan Bhullar with devastating blows that eventually took a toll on the Indian-Canadian fighter.

The end came when Anatoly Malykhin got on top of his opponent midway into the third round and unleashed a series of ferocious punches on Bhullar. Soon after, the referee called a stop to the fight at the 2:42 mark of the stanza.

This marks the fifth straight victory of the Russian powerhouse in as many fights under the ONE Championship banner while extending his undefeated professional mixed martial arts record to 13-0. He also won a $50,000 performance bonus from ONE CEO and Chairman Chatri Sityodtong.

A replay of ONE Friday Fights 22, which took place on June 23 at the Lumpinee Boxing Stadium, is available on the ONE Championship’s YouTube page.