"They are all bad at stand-up" - Anatoly Malykhin says his heavyweight MMA challengers possess the same lackluster skillset

ONE heavyweight MMA world champion Anatoly Malykhin doesn't seem too fazed about his growing list of formidable challengers.

The world's largest martial arts organization's heavyweight MMA ranks has been quite busy as of late, with contenders like Amir Aliakbari, 'Reug Reug' Oumar Kane, Marcus 'Buchecha' Almeida and Ben Tynan making waves.

Then again, the Russian destroyer remains confident he can beat up all these big names. After all, Malykhin believes these strong grapplers all share the same fatal flaw.

'Sladkiy', who also reigns over the light heavyweight and middleweight MMA divisions, in an exclusive interview with ONE Championship, said:

"I think all four of these guys are on the same level. They have pretty much the same skills. They are all bad at stand-up and very good at wrestling, and their stamina is about the same."

Anatoly Malykhin seems to be on point with his observations. Aliakbari, 'Reug Reug', and Tynan all come from strong wrestling bases, while 'Buchecha' is one of the most decorated BJJ athletes of all time.

Then again, none of these bruisers seem to have Malykhin's well-rounded skills, particularly his lethal striking. Plus, the three-division champ also boasts ridiculous speed for a man his size along with a seemingly endless gas tank.

Meanwhile, all signs seem to point to Malykhin's return being at heavyweight and we all can't wait to see him slug it out with either of these four contenders.

Anatoly Malykhin explains why he's down to fight anyone

Regardless of whoever emerges as the no.1 contender for the heavyweight MMA throne, Anatoly Malykhin will gladly square up and defend his crown.

After all, it's the same "anywhere, anytime" mindset that allowed him to conquer an unprecedented three divisions.

Malykhin shared in an earlier interview with MMA Junkie:

"You know, when I was a kid I used to fight a lot on the street. Nobody asked me on the street, 'What is my weight?' I had to fight against everybody, small guy, medium guy, heavy guy. Nobody was interested what your weight is."