A Russian fighter relentlessly unleashed all he had in a heavyweight bout at the ONE: Bad Blood event held on Friday in Singapore to win the interim heavyweight title.
Anatoly Malykhin won the interim heavyweight title after knocking out his opponent, Kiril Grishenko with 80 seconds in the second round of the said card.
The 34-year-old remained undefeated in 11 matches. Malykhin is a wrestler and boxer, showing off both disciplines in the two rounds of the ONE Championship event.
The end came when Malykhin was relentless throwing everything he knew about his trade. But the end came in the second when he landed a powerful right hand that sent Grishenko flat on his back and unconscious in the second round.
Grishenko suffered his first defeat. Before their ONE showdown, both protagonists have kept a clean slate.
It was an emotional moment for the Russian, particularly when he was handed the interim belt. Obviously, at a high, it did not take long for Malykhin to issue a formal challenge to Arjan Bhullar.
“Arjan Bhullar, my baby chicken. No fight, no big heart. Come, fight!” Malykhin said in the post-fight interview.
Bhullar turned down multiple offers to defend his title at ONE: Bad Blood, MMA Fighting reported. However, the recent events could alter all that in the coming months.
A unification bout is expected to be set between Malykhin and Bhullar this year. This would also address contractual differences between the Indo-Canadian and ONE Championship.
The performance gave the Russian more than the interim title. For the sensational win, Malykhin also pocketed a pair of $50,000 performance bonuses from ONE Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong.
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