Chatri Sityodtong says Anatoly Malykhin possesses world-class skills ‘unusual for a heavyweight’

For ONE CEO and Chairman Chatri Sityodtong, Russian juggernaut Anatoly Malykhin is no ordinary heavyweight fighter.

The ONE executive, in particular, cited the punching power and durability of ‘Sladkiy’ as among the qualities that make him truly stand out in the division.

Chatri Sityodtong shared this to the South China Morning Post following ONE Friday Fights 22 last week in Bangkok, where Anatoly Malykhin unified the ONE heavyweight belts:

“If you just look at his raw skill set, he has world-class wrestling, dynamite in his hands, cardio for days, which is unusual for a heavyweight.”

Watch the interview below:

At ONE Friday Fights 22, former ONE interim heavyweight world champion Anatoly Malykhin sent erstwhile titleholder Arjan ‘Singh’ Bhullar to a third-round technical knockout (punches) defeat in their long-awaited unification bout.

Despite favoring an injured leg, the Russian fighter was dominant right from the get-go, steadily tearing down Arjan Bhullar with powerful strikes.

The end came down the mat, when Anatoly Malykhin rained ferocious punches on his downed opponent, who could not effectively protect himself from the pounding, forcing the referee to wave off the contest at the 2:42 mark of the third round.

With the victory, ‘Sladkiy’ officially became a double ONE world champion as he also holds the light heavyweight world title. It also extended his undefeated professional mixed martial arts record to 13-0, the last five coming under ONE Championship.

For his impressive victory, Malykhin earned a performance bonus from Chatri Sityodtong.

ONE Friday Fights 22 took place at the Lumpinee Boxing Stadium on June 23. Its replay is available on ONE Championship’s YouTube page.