ONE Championship: Malykhin v Kane MMA bout marks promotion’s heavyweight Atlanta debut
- ONE 169 on November 8 in the Georgian state capital continues the promotion’s expansion into the potentially lucrative US market
ONE Championship is putting on its first event in the American city of Atlanta, and showcasing it with a heavyweight bout.
Russian Anatoly Malykhin, the promotion’s heavyweight MMA champion, will put his heavyweight belt on the line against Senegal’s Oumar Kane at ONE 169 on November 8.
The event in the Georgian state capital continues ONE Championship’s expansion into the potentially lucrative United States market. Chatri Sityodtong’s organisation held ONE Fight Night 10 in Denver – will play host again in September, to ONE 168 – last year.
Malykhin (14-0) is one of the biggest stars on the roster, also holding the middleweight and light heavyweight titles.
He had to cut down to 205lbs (93kg) to make weight for his middleweight title fight against Dutchman Reinier de Ridder in Qatar earlier this year, but has been working hard to pile the pounds back on for the first defence of the heavyweight belt he won against Canada’s Arjan Bhullar last year.
Kane (6-1), better known as “Reug Reug”, has a background in traditional Senegalese wrestling and has won three fights in a row.
The 260-lbs (118-kg) fighter had threatened to walk away from ONE Championship when his contract expired last year but has been able to come to terms on a new deal.
The Malaykhin-Kane showdown will not be the only title fight on the ONE 169 card: Atlanta-based favourite Jo Nattawut will be taking on Tawanchai PK Saenchaigym for the third time this year, with the latter putting his featherweight Muay Thai title on the line.
The two men faced off in the ONE 167 main event in Bangkok earlier this month. Tawanchai got the win but it was not a popular decision, with the crowd in Bangkok making it clear they felt Nattawut should have been declared the winner.
Nattawut got a good reception in Tawanchai’s hometown of Bangkok and can expect even more vociferous support in Atlanta, where he has been based for the past 11 years.
