Anatoly Malykhin says his new gym is already drawing massive interest from fellow Russians

Many aspiring Russian martial artists want to follow Anatoly Malykhin’s footsteps after he rose to global prominence by becoming a two-division ONE world champion.

The gracious ‘Sladkiy’, who wants to give back to his compatriots, is giving them an opportunity to do so by opening the doors to his newly-opened training facility.

Malykhin has already called Thailand his second home and further planted his roots by opening his dream gym “Dobrynya” in Phuket.

In an interview with ONE Championship, the 35-year-old heavy-hitter said he already received dozens of messages from his fellow Russians, who are willing to cross the continent to train with him:

“Many guys from Russia already write to me: ‘How can we join your gym, what are the conditions?’ I am very pleased that our gym is already making some noise, and many guys in Russia know we are in Phuket, and they even write to me saying, ‘We are flying directly to you, we want to train in your gym.’”

Before becoming a household name, the undefeated Malykhin was once a hidden gem who strived to climb the ladder and make a name for himself.

The interim ONE heavyweight champion and ONE light heavyweight world champion clawed his way to a 12-0 record and an astonishing 100 percent finishing rate.

Now, he wants to offer a helping hand to his countrymen, in hopes of producing the next Russian MMA world champion. Malykhin added:

“I want these guys from Russia come to "Dobrynya," develop new skills, that can help them win their next fights.”

Meanwhile, Malykhin’s chosen gym name "Dobrynya" is a Slavic word that translates to kind and gentle.

While Malykhin is as affable as they come outside of fighting, he’s a completely different animal inside the Circle.

The 35-year-old will again display his ferocity against heated rival Arjan Bhullar in their long-awaited heavyweight unification bout at ONE Friday Fights 22 on June 23 inside Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok.