"He is simply a coward" - Anatoly Malykhin expects Reug Reug to run in ONE 169 main event clash

Anatoly Malykhin is the kind of opponent that can overwhelm his foes with his confidence alone. The undefeated Russian doesn't take a backwards step or show any signs of doubt in his ability to come away as the winner.

This is clear to see in his recent fights where Malykhin has moved across three weight divisions, claiming world championships in all of those weight classes. Now, he's set to defend one of his three world title belts for the first time when he returns to headline one of the biggest cards of the year.

At ONE 169 on Nov. 8, he meets fellow powerhouse Oumar 'Reug Reug' Kane in a colossal encounter for the heavyweight world championship. Despite many fans tuning into this one expecting to see a true collision between two unstoppable forces, this isn't the way that Malykhin sees things.

He believes that his opponent will back down from him rather than engaging with him in a battle of wills to see which of them stands tall when the smoke clears. The champion does not believe that Kane will go toe-to-toe with him at Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, based on his previous fights.

In a recent interview with ONE Championship, Anatoly Malykhin threw down the gauntlet to his opponent by criticizing him:

"He's a safe fighter. He is simply a coward"

Anatoly Malykhin will fight the same way regardless

If his challenger does decide to back up and try to fight smarter, Anatoly Malykhin isn't going to change his approach. The Russian has shown in his recent fights with Arjan Bhullar and Reinier de Ridder that he is a master of breaking his opponents down minute-by-minute.

Even if 'Reug Reug' chooses to not engage with the champion, he's going to have to deal with his relentless pressure and output. Kane can't afford to let his opponent settle into a groove because once he's in it, it's hard to not be overwhelmed.