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Reigning ONE heavyweight, light heavyweight, and middleweight MMA world champion 'Sladkiy' Anatoly Malykhin of Russia is back in the public eye after a well-deserved vacation, and the 36-year-old says he can't wait to step back inside the cage for his next fight.
Malykhin was in Bangkok last weekend to attend ONE 167: Tawanchai vs. Nattawut II on Prime Video, which took place at the Impact Arena on June 8th.
The triple champ caught up with reporters who were looking for an update on Malykhin's next fight, particularly which division's belt he plans on defending next.
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'Sladkiy' played coy and offered a sly response. He said:
"There is only one characteristic in all these weight classes - I am the champion."
Malykhin lifted the light heavyweight belt from former champion Reinier 'The Dutch Knight' De Ridder in December of 2022. He then unified the ONE heavyweight MMA world title with a technical knockout of Arjan Bhullar in June 2023.
Most recently, Malykhin faced De Ridder again, this time at middleweight, and took home that division's belt to become an unprecedented three-division MMA world champion last March.
Needless to say, Malykhin is one of the biggest MMA stars in the world today.
Stay tuned to Sportskeeda MMA for all the latest news and updates on Malykhin's next fight.
If you missed any of the action, a replay of ONE 167: Tawanchai vs. Nattawut II is available on-demand via Amazon Prime Video.
What's next for Anatoly Malykhin?
The triple world champion 'Sladkiy' Anatoly Malykhin says he plans on keeping all three of his belts, but believes a return to the heavyweight division is due.
The 36-year-old Russian mauler has a host of options for his next heavyweight MMA world title defense. However, only two names truly stand out among the pack.
Iranian Greco-Roman wrestling champion Amir Aliakbari is on a four-fight winning streak and has shown incredible improvement since his first meeting with Malykhin in 2021.
And then there's Senegalese wrestling sensation Oumar 'Reug Reug' Kane, who is on a three-fight winning streak.
