Reug Reug Confident In "African Power" Ahead Of Malykhin Rematch At ONE 173

ONE Heavyweight MMA World Champion "Reug Reug" Oumar Kane exudes confidence as he prepares for his highly anticipated rematch against former titleholder Anatoly "Sladkiy" Malykhin in the co-main event of ONE 173 on 16 November at Tokyo's Ariake Arena.

The heavyweight championship rematch promises to be one of the most compelling storylines on a card headlined by the Superbon vs. Masaaki Noiri ONE Featherweight Kickboxing World Title unification bout.

Kane shocked the MMA world last November at ONE 169 when he dethroned the multi-division king via split decision, becoming Senegal's first MMA World Champion and Africa's first ONE Championship titleholder.

The victory ended Malykhin's remarkable reign across three weight classes and established Kane as one of the sport's most inspiring stories.

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Now, with months of preparation behind him, the 33-year-old Senegalese champion acknowledges his opponent's skills whilst maintaining unwavering belief in his own abilities.

"Everybody said Anatoly is good. He is very good. He has striking. His boxing is very good," Kane said. "But I am Oumar, you know? Oumar is number one. He hit me some, but I have African power. He hit me, and I felt nothing."

That confidence extends to Kane's prediction for their rematch, where he expects a more decisive outcome than their closely contested first encounter.

"When I fight Anatoly again, it's not going to last more than three rounds. I'm telling you. Three rounds is as far as it goes," Kane declared. "It could be over in two rounds with a finish, and three rounds is the most."

Despite the bold predictions and championship stakes, Kane emphasises the respect he maintains for all opponents.

"I respect everybody after the fight is finished. I respect everybody from my first fight to my last fight. This is the fight game," Kane said. "After the fight is finished, we are fine. We haven't talked to each other since the fight."