The unthinkable happened to Anatoly Malykhin at ONE 169 in November 2024 when "Reug Reug" Oumar Kane handed him his first professional defeat after 14 consecutive victories, shattering the Russian's perfect record and heavyweight championship reign.Now, the two-division ONE World Champion carrying titles at light heavyweight and middleweight prepares for redemption at ONE 173 on 16 November at Tokyo's Ariake Arena, where he'll attempt to reclaim the heavyweight belt that would restore his status as MMA's first-ever three-division king.The 37-year-old's split-decision loss to the 33-year-old Senegalese fighter created Africa's first-ever ONE World Champion while forcing Malykhin to confront the training and mental errors that led to his downfall.
His preparation for the original bout revealed critical flaws that the One Chance Team and Tiger Muay Thai representative has since addressed.
"I simply overloaded myself with too much. And with me thinking too much, I had too much volume of training that my body couldn't handle. I was thinking too much about everything," Malykhin admitted.The defeat served as a brutal education for a fighter accustomed to finishing opponents throughout his 6-1 ONE Championship career.
For Malykhin, the loss became an unexpected gift that sharpened his focus and clarified his priorities.
"What I needed was exactly this: to gain mental strength, so my body would feel new. This defeat made me better. Now I am at my peak, both physically and mentally. I became sharper, I became smarter. So, this is a big plus point for me," he said.
The Russian's confidence stems from a lifetime of overcoming obstacles and finding solutions when others might surrender.
"I've been through many trials, and always, always found a way out. Whatever life threw at me, I always found a way out. And, once again, all these will lead me to my belt, which I will get back on November 16,” he said.
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