"Anatoly will win" - Former foe Amir Aliakbari puts his chips on an Anatoly Malykhin KO over 'Reug Reug'

Heavyweight MMA contender Amir Aliakbari thinks that current three-division MMA world champion Anatoly Malykhin will get the job done against Oumar Kane in their championship showdown on Nov. 8 at ONE 169.

Malykhin and Kane will be headlining the exciting card inside the Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.

In a recent interview with ONE Championship, Aliakbari was asked who he thinks would get the victory, and he sided with the defending world champion:

"'Reug Reug' will only last one round, brother. Round two, he's finished. Anatoly will win, I like him, and I respect him."

The Iranian powerhouse experienced the power of 'Sladkiy' firsthand when he faced him in September 2021 at ONE: Revolution. Malykhin handed him a first-round knockout defeat.

But since that loss from Malykhin, Aliakbari made a resurgence and won his next four fights, beating Mauro Cerilli in August 2022 at ONE on Prime Video 1, Brandon Vera in December 2022 at ONE 164, Dustin Joynson in July 2023 at ONE Fight Night 12 and, most recently, Arjan Bhullar in March 2024 at ONE 166.

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Amir Aliakbari says being a world champion is his greatest desire in life

The AAA Team representative is scheduled to face BJJ legend Marcus Almeida in a pivotal match at ONE 169, and the winner could potentially become the next championship contender for the 26-pound golden belt.

Ahead of that bout, he had an interview with ONE Championship and revealed that being an MMA world champion is his greatest desire in life, as he stated:

"What inspires me is achieving my goals and my dreams in life. My biggest strengths are patience and trust in God. My biggest challenge in life has always been to become a champion in my sport."

The exciting ONE 169 card will emanate inside the Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, on Nov. 8. North American viewers with an active Prime Video subscription can watch all the action live and for free.