Anatoly Malykhin To Defend Heavyweight MMA World Title Against ‘Reug Reug’ Oumar Kane at ONE 169: Atlanta
A true clash of titans is headed to ONE 169: Atlanta, as historic three-division MMA king Anatoly “Sladkiy” Malykhin will put his ONE Heavyweight MMA World Title on the line against Senegalese sensation “Reug Reug” Oumar Kane. The blockbuster U.S. primetime event will take place at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia, on November 8, 2024. Boasting an undefeated 13-0 professional record with a 100 percent finishing rate, Malykhin has firmly established himself as one of MMA’s top pound-for-pound fighters and a terrifying puncher. The Russian superstar captured the interim heavyweight MMA crown in February 2022 with a highlight-reel stoppage of Kirill Grishenko. Later that year, he achieved two-division glory, knocking out the previously undefeated Reinier de Ridder to claim the ONE Light Heavyweight MMA World Title. Then in June 2023 at ONE Friday Fights 22, “Sladkiy” dominated Arjan Bhullar to become the undisputed ONE Heavyweight MMA World Champion in spectacular fashion. Most recently, Malykhin finished De Ridder once again at ONE 166: Qatar to capture the ONE Middleweight MMA World Title and become an unprecedented ruler of three weight classes. “Reug Reug,” meanwhile, has won three straight fights to earn his crack at the baddest man in ONE. An explosively powerful athlete with top-end wrestling skills, the 31-year-old’s current streak has seen him defeat Batradz Gazzaev, Jasur Mirzamukhamedov, and then Marcus “Buchecha” Almeida in a three-round barnburner. Now, with the nation of Senegal behind him, Kane will look to back up the hype and dethrone one of the organization’s most dominant World Champions. But for Malykhin, a win over “Reug Reug” would further cement his legacy in the sport of mixed martial arts. Given each man’s show-stopping power and willingness to trade bombs at close range, fans should buckle up for white-knuckle action for as long as it lasts.
