Anatoly Malykhin says match between him and ‘Buchecha’ needs to happen in America: “This fight should be hyped”

ONE heavyweight world champion Anatoly Malykhin asserts that if a showdown with contender Marcus ‘Buchecha’ Almeida is to happen, it should take place in the United States.

Speaking to ONE Championship in an interview, ‘Sladkiy’ shared that a matchup with the Brazilian jiu-jitsu great is a marquee one and should be hyped accordingly, something a U.S. show would provide.

Anatoly Malykhin, who is also the light heavyweight world champion, said:

“I think this fight should be hyped, this fight should take place in America next year. It's going to be a big main event for America. And why am I interested in it? Because he's undefeated, because everybody thinks he's the best jiu-jitsu fighter in the world.”

The possibility of a showdown between Malykhin and ‘Buchecha’ in front of American fans looks promising with ONE Championship expected to hold at least four shows in the United States next year.

The development comes after the promotion’s highly successful first-ever live on-ground event in the U.S. in May, which was played to a sold-out crowd in Colorado.

But before a showdown with Malykhin happens, ‘Buchecha’ will first see action on August 4 at ONE Fight Night 13 on Prime Video in Bangkok. The American Top Team standout is featured in a heavyweight battle against Oumar ‘Reug Reug’ Kane of Senegal.

It will be the fifth appearance of ‘Buchecha’ under ONE Championship since joining the promotion in 2021. He has won all of his fights to date by way of finishes inside the opening round.

He is looking to sustain his winning run and further fortify his standing in the heavyweight division against Reug Reug, who has won back-to-back matches.

The Thiaroye sur Mer native’s recent victory came at the expense of Jasur Mirzamukhamedov of Uzbekistan by unanimous decision.

ONE Fight Night 13 is available live and for free to Prime Video subscribers in North America.