Historic three-division MMA World Champion Anatoly “Sladkiy” Malykhin is leaving no stone unturned in his preparations for Senegalese behemoth “Reug Reug” Oumar Kane.
The Russian megastar will defend his ONE Heavyweight MMA World Title in the main event of ONE 169, which airs live in U.S. primetime this Friday, November 8, from Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.
Undefeated as a professional and a winner of four straight World Title showdowns across three weight classes, Malykhin is no stranger to high-stakes bouts that draw the attention of millions.
This time around, his training camp for “Reug Reug” has been both rigorous and meticulous.
“Sladkiy” told onefc.com that he’s following the detailed game plan laid out by his head coach, John Hutchinson, at the famed Tiger Muay Thai camp, with his team identifying plenty of paths to victory:
“I’m working, as always, with Johnny, my coach, who broke down ‘Reug Reug’s’ style, piece by piece. We realized he’s vulnerable – like a sieve. Anywhere you hit, you find an opening.
“Johnny is the leader of the entire operation. He’s responsible for the plan and strategy of the camp, directing me, adjusting my technique, and helping at every level of preparation.”
Malykhin has taken a methodical approach to ensure that he’s in peak physical and mental condition when he steps into the ring against “Reug Reug.”
He first primed his body for the rigors of camp in the Siberian republic of Altai before returning to Tiger Muay Thai in Phuket, Thailand.
“Sladkiy” has taken one quick break in recent weeks but looks forward to bigger adventures once he has safely defended his heavyweight MMA gold:
“At the start of camp, we were in Altai, where we did our initial endurance and boxing training. Johnny was with me, and we focused on physical load and conditioning.
“We’ve now been in Phuket for two months, with only one flight in between. We went to Chiang Mai [in Northern Thailand], but that was by car. The real travel will come after the victory.”
While the reigning titleholder remains focused on his skills and physical conditioning, he’s also done plenty of work to prepare specifically for what “Reug Reug” brings to the table.
A former Senegalese Wrestling Champion who finds much of his success with savage ground-and-pound, Kane might be the most dangerous top-position grappler Malykhin has faced yet.
With that in mind, “Sladkiy” is placing extra emphasis on his own wrestling:
“This camp, I’ve worked a lot with sparring partners, especially wrestlers, to be ready for potential grappling exchanges. My focus has been on wrestling and boxing. I’ve almost cut out weightlifting, as wrestling provides all the strength training I need.”
Why Malykhin Has Embraced Cold Therapy And Fasting
Anatoly Malykhin is pushing his body to the limit in preparation for ONE 169 and a World Title matchup with “Reug Reug” Oumar Kane.
That’s why a key element of his training camp has been recovery. Specifically, he says that cold therapy has helped him quickly bounce back from the toughest training sessions:
“I realized my body responds well to cold therapy. I spend a lot of time in cryotherapy and ice baths, which has been a huge discovery this camp.”
Another element of Malykhin’s plan for maximum optimization is intermittent fasting.
He practiced fasting before he began his camp and is confident that his efforts to maximize his physical potential will pay off this Friday:
“I also practiced fasting – not during the camp, but as part of my preparation leading up to it. Cold and fasting – they’re my winning combination, and I feel these two elements have given me the edge this time.”
