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Malykhin Vs. Grishenko World Title Fight Tops ONE: ONLY THE BRAVE

Dec 27, 2021

A pair of undefeated heavyweight behemoths will headline ONE Championship’s second show of 2022, and the winner will walk away with gold around his waist.

Russian juggernaut Anatoly “Sladkiy” Malykhin will square off against Belarusian dynamo Kirill Grishenko for the ONE Interim Heavyweight World Title in the main event of ONE: ONLY THE BRAVE, which broadcasts live from the Singapore Indoor Stadium on Friday, 28 January.

Reigning ONE Heavyweight World Champion Arjan “Singh” Bhullar was previously offered to defend his belt, but the Indian star and his management team passed on the opportunity. That led to the main event showdown for the interim gold.

“Arjan and his management team have declined multiple offers to defend the ONE Heavyweight World Championship under his current contract,” said Chatri Sityodtong, CEO and Chairman of ONE Championship.

“While this plays out, the show must go on in our heavyweight division, so we will be crowning an interim World Champion between top contenders Anatoly Malykhin and Kirill Grishenko.”

Malykhin has quickly become one of the most destructive forces in the heavyweight division.

The Russian grappler had a flawless 2021, scoring a pair of first-round knockout victories over former ONE World Title challenger Alexandre “Bebezao” Machado and Iranian superstar Amir Aliakbari.

Now, the charming fan-favorite looks to kick off the new year by winning ONE World Title gold.

MMA Fight: Anatoly Malykhin fights Alexandre Machado at ONE: FISTS OF FURY II

Grishenko was equally impressive during his rookie year on the global stage.

The Belarusian phenom also earned a pair of victories in 2021, as he ripped through two unbeaten rising stars.

First, he defeated Senegalese wrestling sensation “Reug Reug” Oumar Kane via second-round TKO, and then he overwhelmed Canadian destroyer Dustin Joynson to take a unanimous decision.

Those fantastic showings proved that the reserved European is truly an elite heavyweight and rightfully lined him up for a crack at the richest prize in the sport.