“I surpass him now” - Shamil Erdogan claims he’s now a much better fighter than two-division kingpin Anatoly Malykhin

Shamil Erdogan says he is a better fighter than two-division titleholder 'Sladkiy' Anatoly Malykhin. Malykhin is the reigning ONE light heavyweight and middleweight MMA world champion, but Erdogan is quickly on the rise in the world's largest martial arts organization and is making his case for a showdown with 'Sladkiy'.

The 34-year-old standout bagged another knockout victory over Myanmar legend 'The Burmese Python' Aung La N Sang last week at ONE 171: Qatar, and it was an impressive performance, to say the least.

Speaking to ONE Championship in a recent interview, Erdogan talked about Malykhin and why he thinks he's the better fighter.

The Kremost Fight Club representative said:

"[Anatoly] Malykhin has great boxing, but by focusing so much on that, he has neglected other aspects of his game. I believe I’m not behind him in striking, and in grappling, I surpass him now. So I think if we face off, the victory will be mine."

ONE 171: Qatar was broadcast live from the Lusail Sports Arena in Lusail, Qatar last Thursday, Feb. 20. Fans in the United States and Canada can catch all the action via replay on-demand on watch.onefc.com or on ONE Championship's official YouTube channel.

Shamil Erdogan calls for world title showdown with Anatoly Malykhin after latest victory: "I’ll show you what I can do"

34-year-old Turkish firecracker Shamil Erdogan has ONE Championship gold on his mind after his knockout finish over Myanmar legend 'The Burmese Python' Aung La N Sang last week at ONE 171: Qatar.

Speaking to ONE Championship, he called on chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong for a title shot.

Erdogan said:

"Chatri, thank you very much. I’m very proud to be here. I love this promotion. Please, if you give me one more fight for the belt, I’ll show you what I can do."

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