- George Chung
- Nov 2, 2024
- 3 min read
At ONE 169, on Friday, November 8, Anatoly Malykhin will defend the ONE Heavyweight MMA World Championship against "Reug Reug" Oumar Kane.
While "Sladkiy" always envisioned his name on the marquee, those around him throughout his youth did not foresee the greatness he saw in himself.
"I have an interesting story. At school, I wasn't very good at academics but always loved sports. I used to escape classes to do physical training and spent much time there," Malykhin stated to ONE.
My math teacher always brought me to the board and asked, 'What's going on with you, Anatoly?' I said, 'I really mean it: I will become a World Champion. This is my dream, and I can tell you for sure I will.'"
"And she always laughed, saying, 'Calm down, what World Championship are you talking about?'"
To say that Malykhin proved those who doubted wrong would be an understatement.
The Russian powerhouse stormed through ONE Championship with fierce results to claim the ONE Middleweight, Light Heavyweight, and Heavyweight World Titles. Ahead of his main event matchup against Kane, Malykhin has been able to bask in the results to date that have seen him achieve his dreams.
"It has always been my dream. I always wanted to be an athlete and reach high results, become a World Champion, and my dream has come true. Despite everything that happened in my life, I have made it and realized my childhood dream," the Russian remarked.
Malykhin's biggest supporter is the only one who championed him along his journey to the top — his wife, Anita.
"A lot of people on my way, when I said I was going to be a World Champion, practically all of them laughed in my face. 'Anatoly, what are you talking about, you and the World Championship? We are from Kemerovo, a small city. Calm down,'" Malykhin said.
"There was only one person I met on my way… only Anita said, 'You are going to do it.'"
Looking back on his pathway to becoming a superstar, "Sladkiy" has a new perspective that he hopes he can pass along to those chasing their own dreams.
It is the simple message of never giving up.
"It was my childhood dream to become a World Champion, and I managed to become a triple World Champion, so I'm going to cherish my childhood dream," Malykhin replied.
"I just wanted people to realize: If you believe in something strongly and you are ready to sacrifice a lot, then you will succeed. I wish that people on this planet would never give up."
"Regardless of how hard it is, always keep moving, and I think when you find your way, you will come across the right people on your way."
As the sport's first-ever three-division World Champion, Malykhin has already carved out a spot for himself in the history books.
However, he hopes his legacy extends beyond the ring and connects with future generations. Malykhin wants to be an inspiration to all those who have been told they are not good enough.
"I wish to leave a legacy not in the form of my belts or triple championships, but the path I have walked in this life, so that people can see that anything is possible. An ordinary guy can… just can," the three-division mentioned," Malykhin said.
"If God gave you opportunities that other people don't have, you need to share these opportunities with the rest of the world, to bring good and good deeds."
ONE 169 airs live on Friday, November 8, on Prime Video to all Amazon Prime subscribers based in the U.S. and Canada at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.
