Anatoly Malykhin vacations in Tuscany before important showdown with Arjan Bhullar

Anatoly Malykhin wants to take it easy before his feud-ending battle against Arjan Bhullar for the undisputed ONE heavyweight world title.

The two titans are on a collision course for ONE Friday Fights 22 this Friday, June 23, at the famed Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok. Ahead of this career-defining match, Malykhin told ONE Championship in an interview that he’s on a bit of vacation just days before facing Bhullar.

Malykhin said he, his wife Anita, their son, and even coach John Hutchinson are staying in Tuscany in preparation for the match against Bhullar.

No, not in Italy, but in a picturesque resort in Bangkok.

“It's very nice that now I can afford to have my family spend the final days before the fight with me, and we are currently in so-called Tuscany - a beautiful place near Bangkok. It's very peaceful here, with fresh air and plenty of natural springs that help me distract from the fight.”

Malykhin said staying in a resort helps calm his nerves and puts him in a place where he doesn’t have to constantly think about the world title unification bout and Bhullar.

Nevertheless, Malykhin is still completely focused on the match.

The pair of heavy hitters were supposed to meet as early as 2022 but injuries, contractual issues, and broadcast commitments postponed the inevitable meeting.

Bhullar and Malykhin have talked insurmountable trash against each other, and that just made their match this Friday all that spicier.

‘Singh’ has held the ONE heavyweight gold since 2021 when he beat Filipino legend Brandon Vera, but injuries and other off-cage factors derailed his return to the circle.

In his absence, Malykhin rose to the top of the division eventually taking the ONE interim heavyweight world title when he knocked out Kirill Grishenko in February 2022.

Malykhin then reached double-champ status when he starched Reinier de Ridder to capture the ONE light heavyweight world title at ONE on Prime Video 5 in December 2022.