ONE Champion Reug Reug Responds to Anatoly Malykhin Rematch Claims

ONE Heavyweight MMA World Champion "Reug Reug" Oumar Kane has delivered a fiery response to allegations from former titleholder Anatoly Malykhin, who suggested the Senegalese king has been avoiding their highly anticipated rematch.

The 33-year-old Kane and Malykhin were scheduled to settle their score in November 2025 at ONE 173 in Japan, but the bout was cancelled after Kane suffered an accident in Dubai. Now fully recovered, he has made clear he's ready to face the Russian again and silence any doubts about his willingness to fight.

Kane didn't mince words when addressing Malykhin's accusations about avoiding the rematch. The champion questioned why anyone would believe he fears a fighter he's already defeated, dismissing the Russian's power and promising an even hungrier version of himself.

"I'm running from him? Why would I be scared of this guy, man? This guy has no power. I've already beaten him. I'm not running away from you Malykhin. The next version of Oumar Kane is coming. The hungry Oumar," Kane said.

Kane revealed he and his team have spent the past year analyzing what went wrong in their first encounter. Surprisingly, Kane believes he did most things correctly but identified one critical mistake that haunts him.

"Me and my team have had this conversation every day for the last year - what did I do wrong? I think I did a lot right, and the only thing I did wrong is that I didn't finish him," he explained.

Despite the heated rhetoric, Kane acknowledged Malykhin's value as an opponent and promoter of their rivalry. He appreciates how the Russian engages in the mental warfare that is building anticipation for their rematch.

"Anatoly is a great opponent. He sells the fight. He does everything. When I wind him up, he replies. That's what we need. It's good having good fighters. It's great having great fighters. But we need to entertain the fans. We're here to entertain the fans," Kane said.