“Another belt in the boxing world” - Triple champ Anatoly Malykhin, John Hutchinson cooking up possible boxing stint

After making history by adding a third ONE world championship to his collection, Russian juggernaut Anatoly Malykhin is already eyeing a fourth belt to his mantle.

Stepping inside the Circle at ONE 166 in Qatar, Malykhin — who already reigned as the ONE light heavyweight and heavyweight world champion — challenged Reinier de Ridder for the middleweight MMA crown. Though it took ‘Sladkiy’ a little longer to dispatch ‘The Dutch Knight’ than it did in December 2022, the result was the same.

Anatoly Malykhin TKO’d de Ridder in round three, claiming the middleweight MMA world title to become the first-ever three-division world champion. Currently, Malykhin is at home enjoying the fruits of his labor, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t already looking ahead to adding another piece of hardware in the world of boxing.

His coach at Tiger Muay Thai, John Hutchinson, posted on Instagram:

“Grateful to God for these unforgettable life moments. 💚Anatoly, a true giant, stands as the first and only 3-weight world champion—heavyweight, light heavyweight, and middleweight. 🪐🥇 Anticipating his next belt in the boxing world! 🥊⭐️🏆🥇”

---

What’s next for Anatoly Malykhin?

With his win over Reinier de Ridder at Lusail Sports Arena, Anatoly Malykhin moved to 14-0 in his MMA career and maintained his 100% finish rate. What comes next remains to be seen, but Malykhin has one of two potential heavyweight MMA world title challengers looking to get their first shot at ONE Championship gold.

The first being Amir Aliakbari, who scored a victory over former world titleholder Arjan Bhullar at ONE 166. It was his fourth straight win after earning knockouts against Mauro Cerilli, Brandon ‘The Truth’ Vera, and Dustin Joynson.

Another possibility is Senegalese standout Oumar ‘Reug Reug’ Kane who delivered a memorable performance against 17-time BJJ world champion Marcus ‘Buchecha’ Almeida in his last outing.

Who would you like to see Malykhin face when he returns to the Circle later this year?

If you missed any of the action or want to relive an epic night in ONE Championship history, the ONE 166: Qatar replay can be watched on demand via Amazon Prime Video.