ONE Championship: Anatoly Malykhin has ‘huge advantage over Arjan Bhullar’ says Buchecha
- Bhullar will defend undisputed heavyweight belt against interim champ Malykhin at ONE Fight Night 8 on March 25 in Singapore
- Top contender Buchecha says two champs ‘have really similar games’ but believes ‘Anatoly has the rhythm’ after a vicious KO of Reinier de Ridder
Marcus “Buchecha” Almeida is backing Anatoly Malykhin to take ONE Championship’s heavyweight MMA title from Arjan Bhullar this spring.
Russia’s Malykhin, who is already the promotion’s interim heavyweight champ, is set to challenge Indian-Canadian Bhullar for the undisputed heavyweight title at ONE Fight Night 8 on March 25 in Singapore.
It will be the first time Bhullar (11-1) has fought since a title-winning stoppage against Brandon Vera in May 2021, and Buchecha, arguably the heavyweight division’s top contender at present, believes that lay-off could be the 36-year-old undisputed champion’s undoing.
“They have really similar games,” the Brazilian-American, 33, told the Post. “They have fast hands and good wrestling and good takedown defence. But last time Arjan fought, against Brandon Vera, was years ago, so I think Anatoly has the rhythm. He was being active so I think that gives him a huge advantage over Arjan.”
It is easy to understand Buchecha’s confidence in Malykhin (12-0).
While Bhullar will be returning from a hiatus of nearly two years, the Russian was last in action on December 3 in Manila, when he bested formerly unbeaten Dutchman Reinier de Ridder to claim ONE’s light heavyweight title.
It was as lopsided as wins come, as he denied all of De Ridder’s takedown attempts and knocked him out with punches before the first round was over.