“You will 100 percent lose a limb” - Anatoly Malykhin says overconfidence against grapplers is a big mistake

Reigning and undisputed ONE heavyweight, light heavyweight, and middleweight MMA world champion 'Sladkiy' Anatoly Malykhin of Russia is one of the most dominant forces in all of mixed martial arts. But he knows and understands that even he has his limitations.

Malykhin, in particular, says he is very careful against pure grapplers, who have proven very capable and treacherous on the mats to those who don't know how to handle them.

Speaking to Red Corner MMA in a recent interview, Malykhin said that's why he worked extensively on his grappling, converting his Russian wrestling into an MMA-ready skill set.

'Sladkiy' stated:

"Then, I understood that I can go against grapplers, especially with striking involved. Then, when I could use my elbows, I became a totally different grappler. Grappling with and without strikes is like night and day, similar to freestyle grappling. In freestyle grappling, there’s distance, when you start receiving body checks, it’s a whole new game."

That being said, Malykhin says the danger against pure grapplers remain, and that due diligence is necessary to become successful.

He added:

"Every discipline is unique, You have to study it. If you think you can beat good grapplers as a good wrestler, you’re wrong. You will 100 percent lose a limb. You need to study everything."

'Sladkiy' Anatoly Malykhin to defend heavyweight strap against dangerous threat 'Reug Reug' at ONE 169: Atlanta

Triple world titleholder Anatoly Malykhin will make the first defense of his ONE heavyweight MMA world title when he throws down with Senegalese wrestling star Oumar 'Reug Reug' Kane.

The two lock horns at ONE 169: Atlanta, which broadcasts live from the State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia on Friday, November 8th.

Fans in the United States and Canada can catch all the action live and absolutely free on Amazon Prime Video.