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Welcome to today's edition of the daily Sportskeeda ONE Championship News Roundup, where we present the promotion's most important stories.
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Today we discuss Marcus ‘Buchecha’ Almeida aiming for Anatoly Malykhin, Rodtang Jitmuangnon wanting his mixed martial arts debut in the United States, and ONE Championship CEO Chatri Sityodtong expecting a Muay Thai super match between Rodtang and Superlek Kiatmoo9.
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#3. ‘Buchecha’ praises Anatoly Malykhin but says his time is almost up as heavyweight king
Marcus ‘Buchecha’ Almeida is aiming for the biggest challenges in his young mixed martial arts career, and the man that he wants to face is Russian knockout machine Anatoly Malykhin. The 17-time Brazilian jiu-jitsu world champion is 4-0 in his MAA career, with all four of his wins coming via first-round finish. He recently sat down with MMA Hoje, and it was in that interview that he praised Malykhin’s wrestling and devastating boxing.
‘Buchecha,’ however, said that Malykhin’s resolve in BJJ has yet to be tested, and he wants to put the ONE light heavyweight and interim heavyweight world champion through the gauntlet.
“He’s good in wrestling and very good boxing. Heavy hands, but we didn’t see his jiu-jitsu yet. No one really put his jiu-jitsu to the test yet. But it is what it is. You could be the best in the world. His clock is ticking, I’ll always trust my jiu-jitsu 100 percent.”
Malykhin had the best 2022 campaign of any MMA male fighter in ONE Championship, having collected two world titles in the past year. ‘Sladkiy’ first captured the ONE interim heavyweight world title when he knocked out Kirill Grishenko in the second round at ONE: Bad Blood. He then ended his year with a masterful first-round finish of Reinier de Ridder at ONE on Prime Video 5 for the ONE light heavyweight world championship.
Catch the entire interview below:
#2. Rodtang Jitmuangnon open to making MMA debut at ONE Fight Night 10 in Colorado
Rodtang Jitmuangnon wants to personally bring his brand of excitement to the United States, and he wants to fight in other sports, including MMA.
The reigning ONE flyweight Muay Thai world champion is a perfect 12-0 in his striking matches in ONE Championship, and he’s been tabbed as a potential contender in the promotion’s stacked flyweight MMA circuit.
Rodtang, in an interview with ONE Championship, said that he wants to be part of the promotion’s first event in the United States and that he could even make his MMA debut at ONE Fight Night 10 on Prime Video in Colorado.
“Of course, it would be a great opportunity if I could be there. It is a young man's dream to perform in the US. I don’t have an ideal opponent. You can pick any opponent for me in any rule – Muay Thai, kickboxing, or MMA.”
‘The Iron Man’ will compete in his second kickboxing match in ONE Championship when he takes on Jiduo Yibu at ONE Fight Night 6 this Friday, US Primetime. ONE Fight Night 6 is available live and for free to all Prime Video subscribers in North America.
#1. ONE Championship CEO says Rodtang and Superlek will meet in the circle eventually
Rodtang Jitmuangnon and Superlek Kiatmoo9 are two of the premier strikers on the planet, and ONE Championship CEO Chatri Sityodtong believes that the two Thai superstars will eventually meet inside the circle.
The two fighters have multiple world titles between them, and Superlek is the current No.1 contender to Rodtang’s ONE flyweight Muay Thai world title.
ONE Championship CEO Chatri Sityodtong said in the ONE Fight Night 6 press conference that a showdown between Rodtang and Superlek could happen down the line, and it could happen in either Muay Thai or kickboxing.
“I think that’s the fight Thailand wants to see, that’s the fight the whole world wants to see, Superlek vs. Rodtang. They would fight eventually, whether it’s Muay Thai or kickboxing. I’m sure they would face each other. These are the two most dangerous strikers."
Superlek, just like Rodtang, will feature on ONE Fight Night 6 when he takes on Spain’s Daniel Puertas for the vacant ONE flyweight kickboxing world title.
