Before ONE Championship’s triple-champion Anatoly Malykhin arrives in Atlanta for ONE 169, the Russian has his eyes set on ONE 168: Denver on Friday, September 6.
And it’s not because he is competing on that card as well. “Sladkiy” is locked in on the ONE Bantamweight Muay Thai World Title matchup between champion Jonathan Haggerty and Superlek Kiatmoo9.
As both men are in peak form, Malykhin believes it will all come down to who plays it smarter on September 6.
“Haggerty is on a roll right now, but Superlek has also been performing beautifully. I think the winner will be the one who is mentally better prepared because both of them have proven their skills in the ring,” Malykhin told ONE.
Superlek has been dominant as of late. So much so that many believe he is the pound-for-pound best striker on the planet. The ONE Flyweight Kickboxing World Champion is on a 10-bout winning streak in ONE, including Rodtang Jitmuangnon and Takeru Segawa.
But Haggerty has come into his own since moving to bantamweight with stunning knockout results over Nong-O Hama, Fabricio Andrade, and Felipe Lobo.
The collision inside the Ball Arena has Malykhin on the edge of his seat.
“They are unyielding, have strong characters, and can turn a fight around. It’s going to be a good fight,” the Russian stated.
The matchup is razor-thin in the eyes of the three-division World Champion.
Both men have specific advantages, according to Malykhin, that make it a difficult matchup to call.
“Superlek is big for this weight class and works very well with his elbows, often cutting his opponents. His advantage will be elbow strikes and size. Haggerty’s advantage is his speed and technique,” Malykhin detailed.
The ONE Heavyweight, Light Heavyweight, and Middleweight World Champion was not able to make a prediction for who would walk out of Denver with the gold over their shoulder.
His only prediction was that fans are in store for a thrilling five-round match between arguably the two best and most exciting strikers going today.
“Who will win? Only the gods will decide that day. Is a knockout guaranteed? I think this fight will go the distance,” Malykhin commented.
ONE 168: Denver airs live on Prime Video at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on Friday, September 6.