Kirill Grishenko expects five-round war with Anatoly Malykhin - "I believe in myself, and I’ll go to the end"   

Kirill Grishenko is hoping to come away with the ONE interim heavyweight world title at ONE: Bad Blood on February 11. The undefeated fighter knows that taking out his opponent, Anatoly Malykhin, will be a mammoth task, and he doesn't foresee a quick night out.

Ahead of their heavyweight matchup at the Singapore Indoor Stadium, Kirill Grishenko told ONE Championship:

“I’ve trained for him seriously and will be ready for all five rounds with him. I don’t have any doubts, I believe in myself, and I’ll go to the end.”

The Minsk native comes from a wrestling background, as does his fellow undefeated opponent. He will be well aware that his grappling alone won't be enough to claim the title.

Grishenko's all-around skillset has developed greatly during his time in ONE and the 30-year-old hopes to utilize his entire arsenal to best Malykhin.

Although he refused to go into the tactics he and his team have prepared, Grishenko suggested it would be enough to put up a good challenge against Malykhin. He said:

“We have some templates, which I won’t reveal. Generally, me and my coach Konstantin Mikhailovich Makhankov believe it’s better to be an all-around fighter. So we develop all aspects. But we do have our game plan."

The Belarusian wants to put on a performance that he is proud of – and that everyone watching enjoys. He added:

“It’ll be a great leap in my MMA career and a boost for my further development. I don’t plan to stop, but I’ll continue showing flashy, spectacular fights to make my fans and loved ones happy, and also to prove I deserve to be one of the best fighters in the world."

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Kirill Grishenko didn't expect a championship opportunity so soon

Unlike Anatoly Malykhin, Kirill Grishenko hasn't been vocal about getting a shot at the heavyweight world title.

Considering Grishenko's successive triumphs over Dustin Joynson and Oumar Kane, as well as ONE heavyweight world champion Arjan Bhullar’s ongoing contract disputes, it made sense for the Belarusian behemoth to get the shot at ONE gold.

Grishenko views this as the biggest opportunity of his career and he wants to take full advantage of it come February 11. He said:

“Well, of course, it was unexpected to get this opportunity right away. But I was very happy because I work for this goal. I train hard for this. I will do my best to achieve my goal.”