“I’ve dialed things back" - Anatoly Malykhin reveals the biggest adjustment he made after losing heavyweight title to ‘Reug Reug’

Anatoly Malykhin is dialing things back following his stunning heavyweight MMA world title loss at ONE 169.

Walking into the legendary Lumpinee Stadium as MMA's first and only three-division world champion, Malykhin looked to solidify his status with a big win over his toughest test to date. Unfortunately, it wasn't meant to me.

After five grueling rounds of action, Malykhin's challenger — Senegalese sensation Oumar 'Reug Reug' Kane was declared the winner via unanimous decision, claiming the ONE heavyweight MMA world championship in the process.

Since suffering the first loss of his career, Malykhin has decided to cut down on the amount of training he's doing, prioritizing quality over quality.

"I’ve dialed things back a bit, cutting down to one training session a day," Malykhin said during a ONE Championship Meet & Greet in Bangkok. "I used to do three sessions, but I realized I was overloading myself. Now it’s all about training smarter and more efficiently."

If you missed any of the action, ONE Championship fans in the United States and Canada can watch the ONE 169: Malykhin vs. Reug Reug replay on demand via Amazon Prime Video.

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Anatoly Malykhin hopes to fight at ONE 171 when the promotion returns to Qatar

Thus far, no official announcements have been made regarding Anatoly Malykhin's return to the Circle, but if 'Sladkiy' gets his wish, he'll score himself a headlining slot at ONE 171 when ONE Championship heads back to Qatar on Thursday, February 20.

"I came out of the fight with Reug Reug injury-free and feeling great. I'm ready to headline the card. Let's go!"

Still holder of the ONE light heavyweight and middleweight world championships, we could potentially see Malykhin defend one of those two titles in his next outing. Alternatively, the Russian juggernaut may look to exact some revenge in a potential rematch with Oumar Kane in 2025.

Only time will tell, but whether he enters his next fight as a champion or a challenger, fans will be excited to see Malykhin back in action.

ONE 171 will emanate from the Lusail Sports Arena in Qatar on Thursday, February 20. Early bird tickets are now available via ONE Championship’s official website.