‘Champions Will Be Made Here’ – How Anatoly Malykhin And His Wife Are Building Their Dream Gym In Thailand

After picking up two ONE World Titles and being named the organization’s 2022 Mixed Martial Arts Fighter of the Year, it would have been easy for Anatoly “Sladkiy” Malykhin to take a well-deserved break.

But never one to rest on his laurels, the reigning ONE Light Heavyweight and Interim Heavyweight World Champion has been hard at work creating a training center for the next generation of elite MMA competitors.

Located on the beach-lined island of Phuket, Thailand, the world-class facility opened in early April.

It serves as the second location for Malykhin’s Dobrynya academy back home in Russia, and he had a very specific vision when expanding the brand to Asia.

“Sladkiy” told ONEFC.com:

“We opened this gym to build a bridge between Asia and Siberia, Russia. We want athletes from different parts of Russia and their coaches to come here to Phuket to learn from each other, learn from foreign fighters, and teach them so that everyone can improve.”

Malykhin envisions big things for his new gym.

Beyond attracting the brightest talents from both Russia and Asia, the 35-year-old knockout artist says the training center will produce international superstars – and he sees himself steering the ship:

“I do have ambitions as a coach. I see myself coaching after I’ve finished my fighting career. The gym was also opened as a base for our team – ONE Chance. Our fighters can train here. Champions will be made here. They will give the audience great shows. They will impress the public and get big contracts.”

However, building this dream gym wasn’t easy. 

After six months of painstaking renovations, ordering and installing an MMA cage similar to the ONE Circle, and everything else that comes along with starting a new business from scratch, Malykhin says he couldn’t have done it without the endless work of his manager, business partner, and wife, Anita.

In fact, the two-division ONE World Champion works alongside his wife daily – cherishing every moment:

“We are together at home and at work, but we don’t get tired of each other. The more time we spend together, the happier and more energized we are. We learn a lot from each other.”  

Anita Malykhin Explains What Makes Anatoly A Special Coach

Anatoly Malykhin’s wife, Anita, has enjoyed an insider’s view of “Sladkiy’s” rapid ascension to a two-division king and worldwide MMA fame.

Unlike most of ONE’s global fans, she sees the Russian competitor as much more than just a feared athlete. Instead, she knows Anatoly Malykhin as a father, coach, and mentor.

According to Anita, it’s Anatoly’s genuine nature and attention to detail that makes him an ideal coach for the next wave of combat sports phenoms.

She told ONEFC.com:

“He’s a great fighter, a wonderful family man, so I think he’ll be a great coach, too. He gives everything a million percent. I know that already fighters from different leagues want to come here. They are trying to train with him. 

“He has a talent to explain every little small detail of a certain move. Explain it in a way everyone can understand. He knows how to pass on his knowledge”