Anatoly Malykhin has promised to punish ‘thief’ Oumar Kane when they meet again for the ONE Championship heavyweight MMA world title at ONE 173.
The 37-year-old Russian lost his belt to Reug Reug via a controversial split decision in the Lumpinee Stadium ring a year ago. The rematch on November 16 in Tokyo will be held in a cage at Ariake Arena – a setting Malykhin believes will favour hi,.
‘We don’t like thieves. We’re going to come back and punish them,’ Malykhin, who also holds the ONE light heavyweight and middleweight MMA titles, told the Bangkok Post. ‘Training and camp have been going really well. I feel recovered and ready, so ‘three-belt time’ – I’m gonna smash him.’
The original fight was marred by constant grappling breaks and rope entanglements, with both men falling through multiple times. Malykhin was also shown a yellow card for repeatedly grabbing the ropes to stop takedowns, while Reug Reug was warned for holding the gloves.
The scrappy contest was privately attributed to the awkward dynamics of fighting two heavy wrestlers in a ring rather than a cage. A late flash knockdown for Reug Reug in the corner, after Malykhin had boxed him in, appeared to sway one of the scorecards.
‘He won’t have any corners to go and hide in,’ Malykhin said. ‘Usually he likes to go and do that – he runs away to the corner and hides.’
Malykhin has refused to study the first fight in detail.
‘I haven’t had a chance to even watch through that fight because every time I start watching I fall asleep in the first round,’ he joked. ‘Hopefully this fight is going to be more entertaining.’
Asked for a final message to the Senegalese champion, he added: ‘He should stop dancing, because he clearly likes to waltz.’
The rematch will act as the co-main event in Tokyo, with five other title fights featuring on a card described as the ‘biggest in ONE history’ by CEO Chatri Sityodtong.