Anatoly Malykhin says Russian fans’ support at Lumpinee powered him to KO over Arjan Bhullar

At ONE Friday Fights 22, Anatoly Malykhin put a definitive end to the saga between him and Arjan Bhullar.

With both fans and the fighters having to wait a long time to finally see the ONE heavyweight world champion and interim titleholder collide inside the circle, Malykhin made sure that when the fight arrived, he would leave no room for debate.

Dominating Bhullar throughout the fight and putting a stamp on his performance with a third-round stoppage, the undefeated Russian made it clear who the best heavyweight in ONE Championship is.

Putting an end to the world championship reign of ‘Singh’ that was defined by injuries and inactivity, Malykhin looked unstoppable on the night, relentlessly pouring the pressure on with his striking.

Thanks to his training, the 35-year old has found a second home out in Thailand and was excited to put on a show at the iconic Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok.

At the same time, following his victory, Anatoly Malykhin revealed on an Instagram Live that he was spurred on by the travelling support from his home country:

“When I was walking out I saw all my guys - some came all the way from Russia to support me. Never in my life, I imagined that this would happen. It's a really good feeling.”

With the backing of the fans whether they travelled to watch him compete from Russia or have adopted him as a Thai fighter, their support clearly affected the double champion ahead of his destructive performance.

ONE Friday Fights 22 is available to watch in its entirety for free via ONE Championship’s YouTube channel.