ONE Championship’s Anatoliy Malykhin is essentially the most dominant MMA star within the enterprise proper now. Because the promotions heavyweight, mild heavyweight, and middleweight world champion, the Russian wrestler is the primary fighter to ever win three main titles in three weight lessons and to carry all of them on the similar time. Malykhin is now seeking to enhance his spotless document of 14 wins (10 by knockout) when he defends the heavyweight title towards “Reug Reug” Oumar Kane (6-1-0) at ONE 169.
And, whereas each males come from a wrestling background, Malykhin tells M&F that his coaching strategies are utterly totally different.
For these questioning what sort of an individual Malykhin is like outdoors of the cage, it needs to be famous that regardless of the large constrains on his time, the champ was extremely considerate along with his solutions, albeit previous 10pm in his native time. “Properly, it doesn’t matter what time it’s. We’re not restricted by time, we’re gonna rock this interview, it doesn’t matter what,” he reassured me via a trusted interpreter.
And “rock it” he definitely did. Malykhin is simply days out from an especially vital title protection, however the wrestling star who’s accolades embody bronze within the 2013 Russian championship for freestyle and gold for submission grappling within the 2016 UWW European championships, is aware of what it takes to succeed, and which means giving his all in any scenario. His drive to push previous his limits is undoubtedly one of many causes that he prefers old-fashioned types of coaching.
Anatoliy Malykhin chooses freestyle wrestling coaching over technological devices
In a current Instagram video, the champ laid down whereas his spouse dropped a coconut onto his abs, from a collection of accelerating heights, till she was all the way in which as much as the roof. “Coconut-proof!” joked the MMA star. However whereas the clip might have been amusing to some, it was the right illustration of how Malykhin has turned to nature slightly than expertise with the intention to push via his limitations.
“There are two kinds of fighters,” says Malykhin. “One is form of a health mannequin fighter like Reug Reug. However, some others are made from metal, who’re robust, and there’s an enormous distinction between these two classes.”
Malykhin believes that leaning an excessive amount of on expertise may have its disadvantages. “All of this new stuff, I’m very suspicious of it,” he shares. “I see these guys. They’ve so many displays throughout them to measure your max, their heartbeat, and if their heartbeat simply goes above 150 bpm, they cease, they cease coaching. They must decelerate. I’ve seen many guys who couldn’t progress due to that, as a result of they began to coach nicely, too scientifically, too secure, and so they didn’t progress.
He provides: “I understand how to hearken to my physique. I proceed coaching like we had been taught in freestyle wrestling: Old style coaching, you prepare principally till you possibly can’t prepare anymore. You prepare till the final cease till you don’t have any extra wins, and you might be totally immersed in coaching. I hearken to my physique, and I do know when to cease, however till that time is reached I preserve going. There’s something very primal about it. You belief your self, and also you belief your physique, and you retain difficult your self, and it’s simply you towards your self, precisely like when you’re within the ring. You’re there and you’ve got an opponent, however you’re additionally dealing with your self. You may’t delegate this battle. You may’t delegate it to devices.”
Actually, on the subject of his coaching, Anatoliy Malykhin is extra Rocky than Ivan Drago. The primary a part of his coaching camp for this title protection was held within the Altai Mountain area in Russia. He ran up these hills and mountains, and practiced holding his breath within the native streams. His coach, Johnny Hutchinson, struck him with sticks to construct his tolerance for ache.
Champions are athletes which are keen to evolve
Regardless of his proclivity for old-school coaching, Malykhin just isn’t afraid to attempt newer strategies that make sense to him. In actual fact, he’s an enormous proponent of utilizing resistance bands. The champ tells M&F that by chopping down so many opponents who had a lot bigger muscular tissues, he realized that muscle quantity and energy are two various things. “I spoke to another wrestlers, and so they advised me ‘you should prepare with resistance bands,’” he explains. “That’s what will provide you with actual energy and palms like iron. I observed the progress instantly, as a result of energy and stamina just isn’t dictated by the amount of the muscle.”
Most champions have a big goal on their again, however Malykhin has three. To that finish, he’s been considering fastidiously about tips on how to proceed to present the absolute best accounting for himself and his followers. “
I’m considering that I ought to most likely vacate the middleweight belt fairly quickly,” he reveals to M&F. “Making weight at 93 kilograms was the toughest out of all of the competitions, so most likely it’s higher to vacate the belt.”
It’s a scenario that he’ll proceed to present some severe consideration too. For now, nonetheless, this piece of Siberian metal says that he’s not simply coconut-proof, however bullet-proof as nicely. Malykhin is loving being part of ONE Championship, and feels a duty to be an incredible ambassador for the organisation too. Not solely does Malykhin prepare to win, however he says that he’s all the time motivated to present his followers essentially the most entertaining battle doable. “At all times, once I’m moving into into the ring, I need to give fireworks,” says Malykhin. “I would like sparks to fly.”
Anatoly Malykhin will defend his Heavyweight World Title towards “Reug Reug” Oumar Kane at ONE 169 this Friday, November 8 broadcast reside on Prime Video starting at 8pm ET.
Observe Anatoliy Malykhin on Instagram: @anmalykhin
