While he is not yet hanging up his gloves, reigning ONE light heavyweight world champion Anatoly Malykhin sees himself as a coach when his days as a fighter are over.
‘Sladkiy’, who is also the interim ONE heavyweight world champion, shared in an interview with ONE Championship that coaching is something he is interested in pursuing as a post-fight career, more so now that he recently opened a training center in Thailand for elite mixed martial arts competitors.
Anatoly Malykhin said:
“I do have ambitions as a coach. I see myself coaching after I’ve finished my fighting career. The gym was also opened as a base for our team – ONE Chance. Our fighters can train here. Champions will be made here. They will give the audience great shows. They will impress the public and get big contracts.”
The 35-year-old Russian juggernaut has been undefeated in 12 MMA matches as a professional, including four in ONE Championship, where he made his debut in 2021.
In just a short time with ONE, he has dominated the competition in devastating fashion, winning all of his fights by knockout.
Anatoly Malykhin won the interim heavyweight world title in just his third fight in February 2022, defeating Belarusian Kirill Grishenko by knockout in the second round. He then ended last year by adding the ONE light heavyweight world title when he knocked out then-champion Reinier de Ridder of the Netherlands in the opening round.
He is now looking to become the undisputed ONE heavyweight world champion in a unification bout against reigning champion Arjan Bhullar, which was recently announced to be taking place in July this year at ONE Fight Night 12 in Bangkok.
Anatoly Malykhin’s unification fight against Arjan Bhullar was previously booked to headline ONE Fight Night 8 back in March until the promotion decided to defer it.
All ONE Fight Night events are aired live and for free to North American fans with an active Prime Video subscription.
