ONE Championship: 3 UFC Heavyweights We Would Like To See Take On ONE Double Champion Anatoly Malykhin

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Singapore, February 2: Anatoly Malykhin had a near-perfect 2022 campaign in ONE Championship as he went on to become a two-division champion in the Singapore-based MMA promotion.

"Sladkiy" shot to superstar status by claiming the ONE Interim Heavyweight World Title with a crushing knockout of Kirill Grishenko in April and demolishing double World Champion Reinier de Ridder to capture the ONE Light Heavyweight World Title in December.

His performance against "The Dutch Knight" set the combat sports world abuzz, and the debate about how the 35-year-old powerhouse stacks up against any fighter in any promotion began to rage.

Malykhin's recent run of form would suggest that the undefeated star is one of the best mixed martial artists on the planet, and here we break down three opponents from ONE's closest rival - the UFC - that we would love to see him lock horns with.

Ciryl Gane

Ciryl Gane is the #1 contender for the vacant UFC heavyweight title, and he has the skill set to back that position up.

The Frenchman holds an 11-1 record, with wins over some of the American outfit's most dangerous heavyweights. It would be interesting to see him squaring off with Malykhin, who seemingly has no holes in his game.

The undefeated Russian has a background in wrestling and devastating power in his hands, so a matchup with Gane would prove to be a gripping spectacle.

Francis Ngannou

Francis Ngannou is currently a free agent, having declined a contract offer from the UFC. Nonetheless, the Cameroonian star undoubtedly made his name inside the Octagon. The former UFC heavyweight king holds a 17-3 record, with 12 of his wins coming by knockout.

A matchup between Ngannou and Malykhin would be unlikely to go the distance, given that they are two of the most fearsome power punchers on the planet, but the affair would be a true barnburner for as long as it lasted.

Sergei Pavlovich

Sergei Pavlovich has been on a tear since his UFC debut. The Russian knockout artist is 17-1 and riding a five-fight win streak - all of which are first-round knockouts.

Malykhin is on a similar run, with all four of his ONE bouts ending via knockout inside the first two frames.

Both fighters possess one-punch, fight-ending power and high-level boxing skills, so a showdown between the two compatriots would be a technical battle right from the opening bell.

Source: Media Release