Anatoly “Sladkiy” Malykhin will be invested in the action at ONE Fight Night 16: Haggerty vs. Andrade on Prime Video.
The reigning ONE Light Heavyweight and Heavyweight MMA World Champion has two friends competing on November 3 in U.S. primetime, and he’s expecting a pair of impressive performances at Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.
Namely, Fabricio “Wonder Boy” Andrade will face Jonathan “The General” Haggerty for the vacant ONE Bantamweight Kickboxing World Title, while “Mighty Warrior” Kang Ji Won is battling Ben “Vanilla Thunder” Tynan in a massive heavyweight MMA clash.
Speaking to onefc.com, Malykhin offered up his predictions for their crucial encounters next month.
Malykhin: Haggerty Has ‘Never’ Faced Opponent Like Andrade
“Sladkiy” became close with ONE Bantamweight MMA World Champion Andrade while training together at Tiger Muay Thai in Phuket, Thailand, and he knows exactly what the Brazilian is capable of.
Andrade will be aiming for two-sport gold when he faces ONE Bantamweight Muay Thai World Champion Haggerty for the kickboxing throne, and Malykhin thinks he’ll be a different type of threat than anyone the Englishman has faced before.
Malykhin said:
“In my opinion, the crucial quality Fabricio has that can help him win is his commitment to fight to the end. He is also physically very strong. Haggerty has never had such a physically gifted opponent.
“I think Fabricio is much more gifted specifically with his punches, and that will be his main advantage, besides his physique. Also, his punches are powerful.”
(@fabricioandrade1)Malykhin is certainly not counting out Haggerty, knowing he’s one of the most decorated strikers on the planet right now.
Still, he thinks that Andrade’s power and aggression will eventually lead to a finish in Bangkok:
“Two champions can’t have a boring fight. We are talking about the major leagues here, two champions are fighting, so everyone should watch this fight and not blink.
“Clearly, no one is writing Haggerty off. He is the champion in this weight class [in Muay Thai]. Haggerty is a tough fighter with good timing and is well-trained.
“I think Fabricio will pressure him, take the center of the ring, and look for the knockout. The power of putting pressure on will win. I think Fabricio will win by KO from punches.”
‘The Dark Horse Of Our Heavyweight Division’ – Malykhin Expects More Big Things From Kang
Malykhin also has an affinity with South Korean competitor Kang Ji Won.
Although the pair could potentially meet in the future, they’ve struck up a bond, and “Sladkiy” can’t wait to sit ringside and watch his friend throw down with Tynan.
He said:
“Yes, I love this Korean fella. He is a heavyweight from Korea, and he always knows how to knock out his opponents unexpectedly.
“In general, he is very kind. We always support each other before fights and write encouraging messages to each other. I am very happy that he will fight on this card. I will be happy to come and watch to support him.”
Kang has posted a 3-1 record in ONE, with all three of his victories coming by knockout, and Malykhin thinks he will spoil Tynan’s unbeaten MMA record.
Some might underestimate the Wang Ho representative because of his pleasant demeanor, but Malykhin predicts another devastating finish on November 3.
He added:
“Kang is the dark horse of our heavyweight division. Everybody always thinks that he has the appearance of such a nice guy, a guy who can’t hurt you, but in the end, he drops everybody. So I think in this fight he will KO his opponent.”
