“He’s fast and very stubborn” - Anatoly Malykhin shares thoughts on cornering countryman Tagir Khalilov

Newly-crowned ONE double champ and formidable knockout machine Anatoly Malykhin had a great weekend in Manila this month. After winning the ONE light-heavyweight strap by knocking out Reinier de Ridder at ONE on Prime Video 5, Malykhin cornerned his countryman Tagir Khalilov for a win at ONE 164 just a few hours later.

Khalilov absolutely starched Chorfa Sor.Santiennoi in a flyweight Muay Thai fight on the lead card of the event. Khalilov knocked out his Thai opponent in the first round.

Speaking to ONE Championship, Anatoly Malykhin spoke about his teammate Khalilov and what it was like to corner him in the fight. The ONE light-heavyweight and interim heavyweight world champion said:

"Tagir is a very strong guy. He’s fast and very stubborn. When I went into the locker room, I immediately saw that he was very charged, he wanted to deliver a beautiful fight. I told him that if he knocked his opponent out, then brother, you'd get a $50,000 bonus, 100 percent."

Any fighter would be fortunate to have a cornerman like Malykhin. Not only does he have a wealth of insight being that he is a world champion, he can also be very motivational as hell. Saying that he's sure Khalilov will win a performance bonus if he knocks Chorfa out surely lit a fire under the Russian striker's backside.

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Anatoly Malykhin perfecty predicts Khalilov wins a performance bonus at ONE 164

Anatoly Malykhin's words to Tagir Khalilov weren't just motivational - they were predictions. In the same interview with ONE, Malykhin narrated how him and his team were able to assist Khalilov in getting the knockout:

"I noticed that when he started trading punches and missed, he would try to show that he's okay. He sort of opened his arms. And I said, ‘You don't have to do that. You have to hit back because the opponent has very good counterattacks and good hand work. He is brilliant.’"

Anatoly Malykhin continued:

"When we went to his fight, his mindset was good. He was composed. He went into the cage and started boxing, but there was a strong opponent, a good Thai fighter. We saw that Tagir was hitting well with uppercuts and hooks, and we began to shout that he had to do more of those. Tagir heard us, and this is a very important quality in a fighter. When he can hear the corner, he can understand those who are there to support him. Next, one of the punches knocked that guy out and, just as we predicted, Mr. Chatri gave Tagir a bonus. I think Tagir really needed that money, too."

Imagine the confidence and belief Malykhin has for his teammate. Not only was he confident that Khalilov would get the knockout, he also knew that it would be impressive enough to win a performance bonus. That's a magnificent cornerman right there.