Anatoly Malykhin Breaks Down Haggerty Vs. Superlek World Title Super-Fight
Anatoly “Sladkiy” Malykhin knows a thing or two about World Title fights.
As the reigning ONE middleweight, light heavyweight, and heavyweight MMA World Champion, the Russian knockout artist has participated in plenty of battles for the gold.
With that in mind, Malykhin recently spoke to onefc.com about the upcoming blockbuster matchup between current ONE Bantamweight Muay Thai World Champion Jonathan “The General” Haggerty and Thai superstar “The Kicking Machine” Superlek Kiatmoo9.
That much-anticipated contest is slated to go down live in U.S. primetime from the Ball Arena on September 6 at ONE 168: Denver.
“Sladkiy” is quick to point out that both men come into the bout riding impressive winning streaks.
Haggerty has put together one of the most impressive six-fight runs ever seen in ONE, defeating the likes of Thai legend Nong-O Hama, bantamweight MMA kingpin Fabricio Andrade, and Brazilian sensation Felipe “Demolition Man” Lobo to claim both Muay Thai and kickboxing gold.
For his part, Superlek – the reigning ONE Flyweight Kickboxing World Champion and #1-ranked flyweight Muay Thai contender – finds himself on a nine-fight streak of his own. In his last two appearances, he scored thrilling victories over global megastars Rodtang “The Iron Man” Jitmuangnon and “The Natural Born Crusher” Takeru Segawa.
Considering each man’s recent run of success, Malykhin says the fight will come down to mental preparation.
“Sladkiy” said:
“Haggerty is on a roll right now, but Superlek has also been performing beautifully. I think the winner will be the one who is mentally better prepared because both of them have proven their skills in the ring.”
Over the course of their respective winning streaks, Haggerty and Superlek have displayed true championship grit and determination, battling back from adversity and refusing to accept defeat.
It’s no surprise, then, that “Sladkiy” expects a barnburner in Denver.
He added:
“They are unyielding, have strong characters, and can turn a fight around. It’s going to be a good fight.”
Malykhin Breaks Down Advantages And Disadvantages In Haggerty-Superlek Fight
Beyond the battle of mindsets, Anatoly Malykhin admits that physical tools will play an important role in the World Title showdown between Jonathan Haggerty and Superlek Kiatmoo9.
He says that even though Superlek is moving up a division from flyweight, he will be the bigger athlete at ONE 168. He also says that the Thai star holds an advantage in a close-range fight, while “The General” has proven to be a speedy technician.
Malykhin opined:
“Superlek is big for this weight class and works very well with his elbows, often cutting his opponents. His advantage will be elbow strikes and size. Haggerty’s advantage is his speed and technique.”
Ultimately, Malykhin isn’t confident enough to offer a prediction in this can’t-miss clash between two of the planet’s best pound-for-pound strikers.
He does, however, think fans are in for a five-round war on September 6.
“Sladkiy” concluded:
“Who will win? Only the gods will decide that day. Is a knockout guaranteed? I think this fight will go the distance.”
