ONE 166 will forever be looked at as the night that history was made in mixed martial arts. Anatoly Malykhin achieved something very special that many have never even envisioned to be a possibility, by winning his third world championship.
It was quite exciting to witness Anatoly Malykhin becoming MMA’s belt collector, claiming a third title after a very dominant finish against Reinier de Ridder.
There is no denying that with Malykhin’s accomplishment at ONE 166, you understand that we are slowly experiencing a new era as we see how mixed martial arts continues to evolve since its inception.
Sure, Anatoly Malykhin is the first to achieve this greatness, but with these hybrid fighters who can make weight in many different weight classes, there might be many men and women who have evolved their game to become an undefeated triple champ.
The Threats are Coming for Anatoly Malykhin
With being a triple champ, we will witness something special as Anatoly Malykhin goes into a special type of defense mode. He has painted a pretty big target on himself for all the current ONE Middleweight, Light Heavyweight, and Heavyweight fighters to see. Right now, it looks like the undefeated Anatoly Malykhin is ready for all challengers with his recent impressive dismantling of Reinier de Ridder, a very tough martial artist.
Interest in Anatoly Malykhin Vs. Francis Ngannou?
Francis Ngannou’s name is the hottest commodity not only in MMA but in the boxing world as well. So it is not a shocker that many people are discussing Anatoly Malykhin as an opponent.
There are rumblings about a what-if fight between Ngannou and Malykhin, and for hardcore fans, this is an exciting match, but thinking about both men’s current paths it does not seem it will ever come to fruition.
Francis Ngannou is on the path of conquering the boxing scene and depending on the outcome of his boxing match with Anthony Joshua, he might stay in that realm with a win as the riches pile up.
Although a fight with Francis Ngannou would be a dream fight, watching Anatoly Malykhin draped in his new Middleweight ONE championship belt along with his two other titles was a special moment all on its own. What Malykhin did in MMA should not be a forgotten achievement. Knowing this beautiful moment in MMA history is contributing to the evolution of this sport makes it that much more special.
Featured Image Credit to ONE Championship
