ONE Boss Chatri Sityodtong Explains Why It’s So Hard To Become A Two-Division World Champion

Singapore, December 15: Anatoly Malykhin joined rare company when he became a two-divsion ONE World Champion at ONE Fight Night 5 on December 3.

"Sladkiy" added the ONE Light Heavyweight World Title to his interim heavyweight strap with a first-round demolition of previously undefeated superstar Reinier De Ridder at the Mall of Asia Arena in Manila, Philippines.

Precious few fighters have achieved the same feat as Malykhin, and there is a good reason for that - it's not easy.

Speaking to the media after ONE Fight Night 5, ONE Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong broke down why it is difficult to win titles in two weight classes in the Singapore-based promotion.

And he cited lightweight king Christian Lee's ONE Welterweight World Title-winning performance against Kiamrian Abbasov at ONE Fight Night 4 in November as a good benchmark for the struggles a fighter may face when competing for a belt in a second division.

"To be a two-division champ in ONE is extremely hard because the weight class differential is 10-15 pounds. That's a lot to give up right?" Sityodtong said.

"You could see in the Christian Lee vs. [Kiamrian] Abbasov fight. Christian was not the same; his power wasn't the same. You know, when he was at featherweight and lightweight, he could throw people around with his takedowns and his jiu-jitsu. And when he hit people, people really felt it. But Abbasov didn't feel it."

To reign over two divisions, a fighter must, firstly, be able to make weight in both divisions. ONE Championship's hydration test system means that athletes cannot undertake unhealthy water cuts, and as such, they can't bulk up to make a higher weight or cut down to make a lighter weight.

While two-divison king Lee had some trouble carrying his power at welterweight, in Sityodtong's assessment, Malykhin faced the opposite issue - trimming down to light heavyweight without compromising his strength.

The Russian star pulled it off in emphatic fashion, and Sityodtong was left in awe.

"But this is also why two-division champions are so rare. How many heavyweights can cut down the way Anatoly [Malykhin] did? I think Anatoly weighs 250 [pounds] and his walking weight is 270. So, he cuts down to 250, and then he cut down to 225 or 223, I think, for this fight. That's unbelievable," he said.

Source: Media Release