Anatoly “Sladkiy” Malykhin is a special breed of fighter. The triple-champ from ONE Championship is the first MMA fighter to win titles in three different weight classes in a major MMA promotion, and the first fighter to hold all three titles simultaneously.
The Russian-born fighter currently sports a 14-0 record (10 KOs and 4 subs) and went 4-0 in amateur circuits, winning two championships along the way. Anatoly signed with ONE Championship in 2019 after going 8-0 in the Russian regional scene. He knocked out his first two opponents under ONE Championship’s banner in the first round, earning him a shot at the promotion’s interim heavyweight title.
Malykhin knocked out Kirill Grishenko to claim that title, knocked out Reinier de Ridder to secure the light-heavyweight title, and did the same to Arjan Bhullar to unify the heavyweight title. His last outing was against Ridder to win ONE Championship’s middleweight title. This article will closely examine why Anatoly Malykhin has been so dominant inside the cage.
Analyzing Anatoly Malykhin’s Dominant Fighting Style
Some mixed martial artists rarely stray far from their base, but Malykhin isn’t one of them. The decorated Russian chose to get out of his comfort zone and dedicated himself to mastering Muay Thai.
His top-notch wrestling skills and his newfound striking skills have proven to be too much for everyone he’s faced. As impressive as his skillset is, the clever way he puts everything together inside the cage makes him a formidable opponent for anyone.
Some of the things that define Malykhin’s fighting style include:
1) High-Fight IQ
Anatoly’s ability to make intelligent decisions in the heat of battle has significantly contributed to his success. He rarely gets in ego battles; instead, he uses an appropriate game plan for each opponent to nullify their strengths.
A Master of Sport in freestyle wrestling, Malykhin’s solid wrestling skills allow him to dictate where fights take place. He often looks to take down skilled strikers to the ground where he can pound them out while using his takedown defense to prevent fighters like Ridder from getting him to the canvas.
Malykhin was mainly a ground-and-pound fighter during his early days in mixed martial arts, but he knew that wouldn’t be enough to dominate in major promotions, so he signed up with Tiger Muay Thai. His striking has come a long way since then, and he’s evolved into a well-rounded striker who can finish fights with his hands or feet.
2) Heavy Hands
As is often the case with wrestlers transitioning to striking-based martial arts, Anatoly packs serious power in both hands. His hands are primarily responsible for his high knockout ratio, and they make opponents cautious to swarm him. Opponents who refuse to respect his power often end up paying for their error.
3) Excellent Distance Management
Three-division ONE MMA World Champion Anatoly “Sladkiy” Malykhin is proficient in utilizing distance management tools such as the jab and low kicks.
Anatoly’s ability to manage distances helps to keep him out of danger during his fights, especially when he’s up against heavy hitters. He has a highly effective jab that he often uses as a range finder and to keep opponents off him. He also loves using low and calf kicks from outside distance to break down his opponents and hinder their mobility methodically.
4) Amazing Conditioning
Malykhin’s conditioning is exceptional for someone competing in multiple divisions. Despite the perception of many heavyweights moving slower and engaging in exchanges more frequently, he rarely gets hit clean during his fights. That’s scary for his opponents, given the knockout power he has in both of his hands and his agile movement.
5) World-Class Wrestling
One of the reasons why Anatoly has been so successful in mixed martial arts is his high-level wrestling skills. His typical game plan when he first turned pro was to take opponents down and pound them out, but he’s evolved a lot since then.
Wrestling is widely viewed as one of the best bases for MMA, so it’s not surprising that someone who won multiple titles in Russia and Europe’s wrestling scene is enjoying so much success in MMA.
Malykhin’s defensive wrestling is just as impressive as his ability to put opponents on their backs. This was evident during his title fights against Reinier de Ridder as he effortlessly shrugged the elite grappler’s takedown attempts.
6) Willingness To Exchange
Anatoly loves a good scrap, and that’s evident when you watch a few of his fights. It’s an unusual attribute for someone who has spent most of his life wrestling, but he doesn’t have the fear of getting hit that many lifelong grapplers struggle with when they transition to combat sports that allow strikes.
His willingness to bang, combined with how difficult he can be to takedown or clinch up, makes him a scary opponent for many fighters.
7) Ring Generalship
Very few MMA fighters come close to Malykhin when it comes to controlling the action inside the cage. He’s excellent at dictating the pace of the action and where the fight takes place. His opponents often find themselves in an endless loop, constantly reacting to what he does.
This can be pretty tiring since opponents don’t get to implement their game plans against him. His heavyweight title against Arjan Bhullar is an excellent example of how good he’s at making opponents fight how he wants them to. Bhullar never had him in danger at any point during the fight, as he picked him apart from range before eventually finishing him on the ground with strikes.
Malykhin’s Style Shows How Well Wrestling And Muay Thai Complement Each Other
Many MMA trainers continue to encourage their students to make wrestling their base, given the massive success wrestlers have enjoyed in the sport since its early years. Wrestlers often choose to make boxing their main striking style, but Malykhin’s decision to master Muay Thai shows it might be the better option for wrestlers.
Malykhin has emerged as one of the most dominant fighters in MMA history, and he’s open to cross-promotional fights against the likes of Francis Ngannou.
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