EXCLUSIVE | Aung La N Sang Wants Anatoly Malykhin For 2023 Middleweight Showdown

After returning to winning ways in dominant fashion at ONE 163 in November, ONE Championship superstar Aung La N Sang is again ready for big fights.

“The Burmese Python” dispatched Japanese mixed martial arts legend Yushin Okami by knockout inside the first frame last month, and he is now eyeing World Title opportunities in the coming year. 

Having watched the ONE on Prime Video 5 main event, where Reinier de Ridder – the man who took both of Aung La N Sang’s World Titles in 2021 – was bested by Russian powerhouse Anatoly Malykhin, the Myanmar sports icon seems to have seen an opening.

The 37-year-old has become a big fan of Malykhin’s development over the last 12 months, and he would love to lock horns with the two-division slugger – but only on particular terms.

“I think I would only fight Malykhin on the basis that he comes down to middleweight,” Aung La N Sang stated. 

“There’s no way I will fight at light heavyweight anymore.”

Compared to the usual trash talk we see in modern sport, the 41-fight veteran remains very respectful toward the ONE Interim Heavyweight and Light Heavyweight World Champion, as he recognises Malykhin’s own humility and family spirit.

“He is very impressive,” he said. 

“When he started off, we thought he was just a wrestler with good boxing. But now we can see he’s well-rounded. He’s a great mixed martial artist and a World Champion in two divisions. He’s going to do big things.

“He’s also a humble family man. A great guy. I’ve met him many times. I’m very happy for him. He deserves everything he worked for. How can you not like him? When you meet him outside, he’s the sweetest guy. In the Circle, he’s a savage.”

Malykhin has stated that he intends to go for “all the belts” during his time in ONE Championship, leaving Aung La N Sang hopeful that he’ll get an opportunity to tussle with the Russian star at his weight class.