“I move better than him” - Anatoly Malykhin says he would be ‘a big problem’ for Francis Ngannou

Reigning ONE heavyweight, light heavyweight, and middleweight MMA world champion 'Sladkiy' Anatoly Malykhin of Russia believes he would give former UFC heavyweight king 'The Predator' Francis Ngannou a run for his money if the two ever met in the cage.

Ngannou is one of the most well-known MMA fighters in the world, who in 2023, made headlines when he decided to leave the UFC for the PFL .

With Malykhin being in ONE Championship, a crossover fight between the two seems unlikely. However, that hasn't stopped fans, including Malykhin himself, from imagining a dream fight between the heavyweight behemoths.

Speaking to MMA Fighting in a recent interview, Malykhin said he was confident he could beat Ngannou in a fight if they ever got into one.

'Sladkiy' said:

“I want to congratulate Ngannou [on his boxing match against Anthony Joshua],” Malykhin told MMA Fighting through his interpreter. “Although it wasn’t his night, he made good money, it wasn’t [a lose-lose] evening for him. He got paid pretty good money."

He added:

“As for our potential fight, I can say that my strong points are that I move better than him and also I do great body shots. I think me on my feet would be a big problem for him.”

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What's next for 'Sladkiy' Anatoly Malykhin?

While a showdown with 'The Predator' Francis Ngannou may not be in his immediate future, 'Sladkiy' Anatoly Malykhin does have three belts he needs to defend.

The 36-year-old Russian mauler is getting ready to return to action, and expects to be back in the Circle later this year against a worthy opponent.

Potential adversaries include Iranian Greco-Roman wrestling champion Amir Aliakbari, Senegalese wrestling sensation Oumar 'Reug Reug' Kane, and Brazilian jiu-jitsu legend Marcus 'Buchecha' Almeida.

Stay tuned to Sportskeeda MMA for all the latest news and updates surrounding Anatoly Malykhin's next fight.