Senegalese standout Oumar 'Reug Reug' Kane is not amused by three-division champion world Anatoly Malykhin.
In March, 'Sladkiy' made history by becoming the first fighter in ONE Championship history to capture world titles in three different divisions simultaneously.
Following his stunning third-round knockout of Reinier de Ridder to claim the ONE middleweight MMA world title, adding it to a collection that already includes the light heavyweight and heavyweight MMA belts, Malykhin is intent on defending his heavyweight crown against one of three potential contenders.
"Whose head will we cut off first?" Malykhin wrote on Instagram while taking shots at Oumar 'Reug Reug' Kane, Amir Aliakbari, and Ben Tynan.
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Responding to Malykhin's post, 'Reug Reug' made it clear that it's Malykhin who would have to protect his neck in a potential heavyweight title clash.
"Your head is coming off first," Kane wrote in response.
Of all the potential challengers for Anatoly Malykhin's heavyweight MMA world championship, 'Reug Reug' appears to be the frontrunner, coming off three straight wins, including an impressive unanimous decision win over 17-time BJJ world champion Marcus 'Buchecha' Almeida last summer.
It's uncertain if Oumar Kane will be the next man to challenge Malykhin, but 'Reug Reug' has proven himself to be one of the most well-rounded fighters in the division, displaying his elite wrestling skills and crushing knockout power in his five wins under the ONE banner.
If not 'Reug Reug,' who's next for three-division king Anatoly Malykhin?
If it's not 'Reug Reug' fighting Anatoly Malykhin next, then who? Two other names in the heavyweight division have looked nothing short of impressive in their last few outings — Amir Aliakbari and Ben Tynan.
Aliakbari had a rough start to his run in ONE Championship, losing back-to-back bouts with one of them coming against Malykhin in September 2021. Since then, he's won four straight fights against Mauro Cerilli, Brandon Vera, Dustin Joynson, and Arjan Bhullar.
Though his win over 'Singh' came by disqualification, the Iranian powerhouse largely dominated the fight, stifling Bhullar's offense along the way.
As for Ben Tynan, the Canadian standout has finished his first two opponents in ONE, Kang Ji Won and Duke Didier, emphatically. 'Vanilla Thunder' may have a bit more work to do before earning a shot at Malykhin, but his dominance inside the Circle matched with his infectious personality has made him an instant hit among fight fans.
Who do you want to see challenge Anatoly Malykhin for the ONE heavyweight MMA world championship next?