"Our relationship is purely professional" - Anatoly Malykhin says he and 'Reug Reug' are definitely not friends

Two-division MMA world champion Anatoly Malykhin is setting the record straight on where he stands with new heavyweight MMA king Oumar 'Reug Reug' Kane following their world title clash in the main event of ONE 169 last Friday, Nov. 8.

In an interview with the world's largest martial arts promotion, 'Sladkiy' stated:

"It's all about the sport, and our relationship is purely professional. His hand got raised that night, but we both still want to be ONE champions. We're both aiming to be at the top, so we definitely didn't become friends."

Malykhin sought to retain the 265-pound MMA crown by leaning on his renowned striking abilities and ring generalship while thrilling the crowd inside the legendary Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.

However, Kane emerged with the split decision victory to claim his first ONE world championship.

Despite his first defeat under the ONE banner, Malykhin still holds the ONE light heavyweight and middleweight MMA world championships.

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Anatoly Malykhin gives 'Reug Reug' credit for his "solid jaw"

Anatoly Malykhin has a newfound respect for Oumar 'Reug Reug' Kane's ability to absorb his strikes and easily walk through them.

Speaking exclusively with ONE Championship in the aftermath of ONE 169, the two-division ONE MMA king said:

"There was one left hook that landed nicely, but he took it without much trouble. He's tough like that. He's got a solid jaw, and he's never been knocked down, so he can still handle hard punches well."

Fans in the United States and Canada with an active Prime Video subscription can rewatch all the action from ONE 169 on demand.