"They're so fast and skilled" - Anatoly Malykhin in awe of Rodtang and Thai players' incredible soccer prowess

Following the events of ONE 167 on June 7, three-division world champion Anatoly Malykhin was invited to take part in a new experience.

The undefeated Russian is an incredible athlete with the size and power of a heavyweight but the speed and agility of a fighter much smaller than him.

However, his recent encounter with Rodtang Jitmuangnon put his skills to the test in a completely different way.

'The Iron Man' invited his fellow ONE Championship fighter to take part in a charity football match after he was in attendance at the Impact Arena in Bangkok.

Playing on the side of the Fight Knights, the two men participated in the Idol League which aims to feature celebrities playing against one another in order to raise money for worthwhile projects to aid those in need.

This has become a regular occurrence for 'The Iron Man' who stepped onto the pitch just days after going three rounds with Denis Puric in kickboxing.

Following the match, Malykhin reflected on the experience where he spoke about how impressed he was by the players he was up against and playing alongside:

"Today I experienced Thai football for the first time. The players are amazing. They play so well, and they're so fast and skilled. But most importantly, they are humble and welcoming."

This new experience for Anatoly Malykhin was nothing new for Rodtang

Anatoly Malykhin was incredibly grateful to feature in the match alongside his fellow ONE Championship fighter.

However, for Rodtang, this sort of thing is a fairly standard post fight activity so he took it in his stride.

For Malykhin, it was a new experience as proven by his comments afterwards about feeling nervous before stepping onto the pitch.

The Fight Knights would go on to win the match 5-0 so maybe this won't be the last time that Malykhin is invited to take part and bring some added muscle to the side.

ONE 167 is available to watch back in full for free via Prime Video for US and Canadian viewers with an active Prime Video subscription.