Anatoly Malykhin has always supported his Russian compatriots’ martial arts pursuits, and he believes another one will rise to the top in ONE Championship this weekend. 

At ONE Fight Night 22: Sundell vs. Diachkova on Friday, May 3, Russian juggernaut Dmitry Menshikov will battle Sinsamut Klinmee in a showdown between former World Title challengers in the lightweight Muay Thai division. 

Their match will take place inside the iconic Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, and Malykhin broke down why Menshikov is a dangerous threat to anyone in the ring in a recent interview with ONE. 

Anatoly Malykhin backs Dmitry Menshikov for his next fight

“Dmitry Menshikov is from Kuzbass, which is where I come from, and that means a lot to me. The guys from Kuzbass are very strong, and the Thai boxing there is on a high level. There are great trainers and good support for the guys. For many years, they have been proving themselves by fighting the world’s top Muay Thai fighters,” he said. 

“This guy has a very strong punch. He went ten years without a loss, which is huge. Dmitry is a great athlete. I think after one or two more fights, he will try his luck for the belt again. This time, he will have learned his lesson, and the Kuzbass region will have a second World Champion.”

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The Russian striker arrived in ONE after dominating the competitive European scene, and he immediately put his 18-fight winning streak on the line by challenging Regian “The Immortal” Eersel for the ONE Lightweight Muay Thai World Title at ONE Fight Night 11 last June.

Unfortunately, he would suffer a rude welcome at the hands of the Surinamese king, who handed him a devastating first-round finish. 

He has since bounced back by scoring back-to-back first-round knockouts of his own, showcasing the world-class skills that make him one of the most dangerous fighters on the planet. 

Will Dmitry Menshikov live up to the expectations of the legendary fighter?

For his part, Sinsamut emerged as a star in the lightweight Muay Thai division with two straight stoppages against the legendary Nieky Holzken and British brawler Liam Nolan. He even pushed Eersel to a split decision when they met to contest the inaugural World Title at ONE on Prime Video 3 in October 2022. 

While Malykhin doesn’t discount the Thai star’s talent, he simply believes Menshikov is better than him.

“He represents the excellent Kuzbass school of Muay Thai, which in my opinion is the best in the world. I would put it 70 percent to 30 percent in favor of Dmitry. I think that Menshikov is a better striker than Sinsamut. He can out strike Sinsamut,” the three-division titleholder said.

All the action from ONE Fight Night 22 will be broadcast live and free on Prime Video for fans across North America with an active Amazon subscription on Friday, May 3.