"He's earned another chance" - Anatoly Malykhin already has the perfect opponent in mind for next world title defense

Anatoly Malykhin has already made it clear that even after winning world championships in three divisions, he's here to stay. The undefeated Russian wants to continue adding to his legacy by defending his belts against the top challengers that are out there.

At ONE 169 on Nov. 8, Malykhin moves back to the heavyweight MMA bracket to face his first title challenger in fellow heavyweight powerhouse, Oumar 'Reug Reug' Kane.

In a recent interview with ONE Championship before his return at Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, Malykhin was asked who could be next should he get through this first test.

The world champion replied by naming Amir Aliakbari as a likely opponent considering their history with one another and his former foe's current winning streak.

They first met back in Malykhin's second fight with the promotion in September of 2021, where the Russian secured the knockout victory in the first round.

However, as Anatoly Malykhin correctly points out, Aliakbari has been able to turn things around since then which makes him a legitimate contender:

"I think we should give Aliakbari a shot. This guy has beaten five opponents, made big progress, and I think he's earned another chance to try and fail to take my belt."

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Amir Aliakbari has the Anatoly Malykhin rematch in his sights

Earning the rematch with Anatoly Malykhin is clearly something that has fueled Amir Aliakbari in recent years.

He's been able to use this motivation to bring out the best in him, resulting in a four-fight winning streak with multiple wins over former world champions.

Aliakbari is also set to be in action at ONE 169 on Nov. 8, where he faces Marcus 'Buchecha' Almeida in a huge clash for the division.

If he's able to extend his streak to five by beating the Brazilian jiu-jitsu icon, there can be no denying Aliakbari of the next world title shot.