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Oumar Kane and Anatoly Malykhin, ONE Friday Fights 154 Credit: ONE Championship | ONE Championship
So long, “Sladkiy.”
Former three-division ONE Championship kingpin Anatoly Malykhin reclaimed the ONE Heavyweight title in the main event of Inner Circle last Friday (May 15, 2026) when he knocked out Oumar Kane — better known as “Reug Reug” — in the fourth round inside Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.
And then, moments later, he walked away from the sport.
The fight itself was strange early on, with the first three rounds featuring plenty of hand-fighting and awkward positioning as Reug Reug repeatedly backed himself toward the corner instead of engaging aggressively.
Still, Malykhin slowly began finding his rhythm as the fight progressed.
By the end of the third round, the Russian powerhouse finally started landing clean combinations and timing Kane’s entries. Then in Round 4, he uncorked a massive right hand that cracked Reug Reug flush and sent the Senegalese heavyweight crashing to the canvas.
Check out the finish below (sorry for the quality — ONE has removed most of the highlights online):
Following the victory, Malykhin removed his gloves in the center of the ring, signaling his retirement from MMA.
“I’m done,” Malykhin said afterward. “That’s it. I’m going back to Altai and taking care of my cows and my dogs. I’m tired of spilling blood and being away from home.”
“I want to say a big thank you to Mr. Chatri [Sityodtong] for giving me an amazing six years,” he continued. “I started losing the love for the sport, but being here today and having the support of everyone in the stadium — and having the people here from Russia, they all traveled to support me — I want to say thank you.”
Malykhin retires as one of the most dominant and violent champions in ONE history.
The 38-year-old became the first simultaneous three-division champion in a major MMA organization and finishes his career holding several promotional records, including the most championships won in ONE history (4) and the longest active finishing streak among champions (6).
Oh, and every single one of his victories came via stoppage.
Malykhin also scored two victories over former double championReinier de Ridder, taking titles from the Dutchman in both encounters.
He officially walks away from MMA with a 15-1 professional record and one of the most unique legacies in modern Heavyweight combat sports.
For more ONE Championship news and notes click here.
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