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USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
Matt Erickson

Three-division champ Anatoly Malykhin wants more ONE history

At 36, and with a historic trio of belts around his waist, Anatoly Malykhin said he’s not done chasing history.

No, the ONE heavyweight, light heavyweight and middleweight champion isn’t thinking about a fourth title. But he’d still like to try something no modern-era major champion has done.

“I have a crazy idea,” Malykhin told MMA Junkie Radio. “I would like to fight two opponents in one evening. I would like to beat two athletes in one evening and create a new history. No one has ever done this before.”

The 36-year-old Russian, who is 14-0, including six knockout wins for ONE, just keeps winning title fights. Earlier this month, he took out Reinier de Ridder for a second time in three fights to win the middleweight (205 pounds in ONE) belt. He previously took the light heavyweight title from him.

Malykhin thinks a fight for ONE in the U.S. should be his next move. And if that two-opponent thing can be figured out, he’s down.

“America would be a great place for the next card I’m on,” he said. “When I was a kid and I used to fight a lot on the street, I had an unbeaten record of 300-0. Nobody asked me on the street what is my weight.”

ONE’s next scheduled event in the U.S is set for September in Denver.

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