Anatoly Malykhin and Kane May Have a Rematch Within 6 Months

According to Rantsports, double ONE champion Anatoly Malykhin and reigning heavyweight champion Oumar Kane may face off in a rematch in the next six months.

The first bout between Malykhin and Kane took place on November 9 during the main event of ONE 169 in Bangkok, Thailand. In a match that went the full distance, Oumar won by split decision and claimed the ONE heavyweight title.

In his mixed martial arts career, Malykhin boasts 14 wins and one loss. Kane has seven victories and one defeat.

Manager: Anatoly Malykhin Will Face Hate After Loss to Oumar Kane

Alexander Skaredin, the manager of former ONE heavyweight champion Anatoly Malykhin, commented on his client’s defeat in the match against Oumar Kane.

“Actually, the main issue here is that Malykhin was not himself during this fight. We met at the camp, and I knew he faced lots of troubles. There was food poisoning and a staphylococcal infection. I saw him grind. He is a champion by nature and always takes risks. Malykhin never says he’s not prepared or that the fight should be postponed. He seizes every opportunity to show the world what he can do. In this fight, his physical condition played a significant role. I think he might have overtrained somewhere. Besides, his health issues impacted him both physically and functionally,” said Skaredin.

Alexander Skaredin exclusively for Rantsports

Of course, a huge wave of hate is coming towards Anatoly now. People often wait for such moments in an athlete’s career to vent their negativity. I want to support Malykhin. He is someone who has always taken risks and embraced the opportunities fate has offered him. I’m sure, it’s just an episode in his career. We’re going to keep it together, learn from this, and come back strong in the next fight, just like the world knows us.

The match between Malykhin and Kane took place in Bangkok as part of the ONE 169 tournament and ended with Oumar winning by split decision. This defeat marked the first loss of the 36-year-old Malykhin. Throughout his professional MMA career, Anatoly has achieved 14 victories. Kane has seven wins and one defeat to his name.

Shabliy Disagrees with Judges’ Decision in Malykhin vs. Kane Fight

Alexandr Shabliy, a finalist in the Bellator lightweight Grand Prix, stated in an exclusive interview with Rantsports that he disagrees with the judges’ decision to award Oumar Kane the victory over Anatoly Malykhin in their ONE championship title fight.

“It was a very close match, and I would have given the win to Malykhin. He showed more control and activity, despite landing fewer strikes. If you look at the statistics regarding his control time and attacking, Anatoly was better. But judges have their reasons. Another factor that influenced it was the ropes. For a fighter, being near the ropes is a nightmare. You get used to one scenario, but it can turn out differently: you can’t take down your opponent or control him. There were too few elbows from Anatoly. He could have used them more, it would have made a difference. It was interesting until the clinches. In any case, Anatoly did great. He will calm down, analyze his mistakes, and come back stronger,” said Shabli.

Recall, Anatoly Malykhin lost to Oumar Kane and relinquished his ONE heavyweight championship title. The fight lasted five rounds, and judges awarded the victory to the Senegalese fighter by split decision. Additionally, Malykhin had one point deducted in the first round. This defeat marks the first loss in the 36-year-old Malykhin’s career, who has 14 victories in his professional MMA journey. Kane now has seven wins and one loss under his belt.