ONE Championship’s Anatoliy Malykhin is probably 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 courses and to hold them all at the same time. Malykhin is now trying to enhance his spotless report of 14 wins (10 by knockout) when he defends the heavyweight title in opposition to “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 completely different.
For these questioning what sort of an individual Malykhin is like exterior 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. “Nicely, 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 by way of a trusted interpreter.
And “rock it” he actually did. Malykhin is simply days out from an especially vital title protection, however the wrestling star who’s accolades embrace 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 skool types of coaching.
Anatoliy Malykhin chooses freestyle wrestling coaching over technological devices
In a latest Instagram video, the champ laid down whereas his spouse dropped a coconut onto his abs, from a sequence 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 reasonably than expertise as a way to push by way of 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 fabricated from metal, who’re sturdy, 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 should decelerate. I’ve seen many guys who couldn’t progress due to that, as a result of they began to coach properly, 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 have been taught in freestyle wrestling: Old skool coaching, you practice principally till you’ll be able to’t practice anymore. You practice till the final cease till you don’t have any extra wins, and you’re absolutely 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 in opposition to your self, precisely like when you’re within the ring. You’re there and you’ve got an opponent, however you’re additionally going through your self. You may’t delegate this combat. You may’t delegate it to devices.”
Actually, relating to 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 might be prepared to evolve
Regardless of his proclivity for old-school coaching, Malykhin isn’t afraid to strive newer strategies that make sense to him. The truth is, 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 power are two various things. “I spoke to another wrestlers, and so they instructed me ‘you need to practice with resistance bands,’” he explains. “That’s what gives you actual power and palms like iron. I observed the progress instantly, as a result of power and stamina isn’t dictated by the quantity of the muscle.”
Most champions have a big goal on their again, however Malykhin has three. To that finish, he’s been pondering rigorously about the best way to proceed to present the absolute best accounting for himself and his followers. “
I’m pondering that I ought to in all probability 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 in all probability it’s higher to vacate the belt.”
It’s a scenario that he’ll proceed to present some severe consideration too. For now, nevertheless, this piece of Siberian metal says that he’s not simply coconut-proof, however bullet-proof as properly. Malykhin is loving being part of ONE Championship, and feels a duty to be an awesome ambassador for the organisation too. Not solely does Malykhin practice to win, however he says that he’s all the time motivated to present his followers probably the most entertaining combat doable. “All the time, after I’m getting in into the ring, I need to give fireworks,” says Malykhin. “I would like sparks to fly.”
Anatoly Malykhin will defend his Heavyweight World Title in opposition to “Reug Reug” Oumar Kane at ONE 169 this Friday, November 8 broadcast dwell on Prime Video starting at 8pm ET.
Observe Anatoliy Malykhin on Instagram: @anmalykhin
