Kirill Grishenko did not expect his shot at gold to come after only two fights in ONE Championship.   

But now that his opportunity has arrived, the undefeated Belarusian wants to make the most of his ONE Interim Heavyweight World Title clash versus Russian powerhouse Anatoly “Sladkiy” Malykhin next Friday, 11 February.

“Well, of course, it was unexpected to get this opportunity right away. But I was very happy because I worked for this goal. I train hard for this. I will do my best to achieve my goal,” the 30-year-old said ahead of his co-main event tilt at ONE: BAD BLOOD.  

“It’ll be a great leap in my MMA career and a boost for my further development. I don’t plan to stop, but I’ll continue showing flashy, spectacular fights to make my fans and loved ones happy and also to prove I deserve to be one of the best fighters in the world.” 

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Kirill Grishenko expects another barn burner when he faces Anatoly Malykhin at ONE: BAD BLOOD

The Minsk resident delivered nothing but spectacular performances every time he stepped foot inside the Circle. In his debut at “ONE on TNT IV” last April, the colossal athlete handed Oumar Kane his first-ever MMA defeat. 

While the Senegalese scored impressive knockouts over Alain “The Panther” Ngalani and Patrick Schmid, Kane was no match for Grishenko, who fought bravely and took him out using his stand-up game. 

He returned to action at ONE: REVOLUTION last September and competed in a slugfest against Canadian Dustin Joynson. After three rounds of back-and-forth striking, Grishenko took home his fifth victory in MMA by unanimous decision. 

Grishenko expects another barn burner when he faces Malykhin at the Singapore Indoor Stadium next week.

Read More: “I See Holes in His Technique” – Anatoly Malykhin Sees Himself Cruising to Victory Against Kirill Grishenko  

“He’s a very high-class opponent. I watched all his fights, and he’ll be a big challenge,” the MGC and M2G star admitted.

“He’s a multi-faceted fighter. He does a lot of things well. He’s from freestyle wrestling. That’s in his genes. Recently, he’s improved his striking significantly, but I’m ready for everything.” 

Despite viewing “Sladkiy” as a far more dangerous opponent, Grishenko is still confident of his chances to take home the interim heavyweight gold. 

Download the ONE Super App to witness these two heavyweight icons battle it out at ONE: BAD BLOOD on Friday, 11 February. 

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