Anatoly “Sladkiy” Malykhin is confident that he will see off Amir Aliakbari with zero trouble if the two men throw down inside the Circle again. 

The Russian powerhouse switched the Iranian’s lights off with a thudding left hook at ONE: REVOLUTION in September 2021, before taking out Kirill Grishenko this past February to claim the ONE Interim Heavyweight World Championship.

Aliakbari, meanwhile, returned to the winner’s column at ONE on Prime Video 1 with a massive knockout against Mauro Cerilli. Following the triumph, the Iranian called out a slew of opponents, among them a rematch with the Russian slugger.

Malykhin shrugged off the mention. The undefeated fighter didn’t seem too impressed with his rival’s recent victory.

“I watched his fight against Mauro. What can I say? Aliakbari did not show anything new. He is still the same – slow. He does not breathe well. I don’t see what he can [do to] oppose my speed and functionality, my pressure,” the Kemerovo native said.

“Herb Dean Has Seen Enough” – MMA Fans React as Heavyweight Amir Aliakbari Ends the Bout With Brutal Ground and Pound at ONE on Prime Video 1

During their first bout, Malykhin’s punishing boxing combinations constantly troubled the Greco-Roman Wrestling World Champion. When Aliakbari tried to return fire, the Russian unloaded even heavier shots which threw the Iranian off his game.

Anatoly Malykhin sees Amir Aliakbari as an easy matchup

“Sladkiy” does not see how Aliakbari would be able to turn the tables around if they ran it back, further adding that he would not have trouble knocking out or submitting Aliakbari.

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“It will not be difficult to drop Aliakbari again,” the Golden Team standout warned.

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“This fight is easy money for me. If there is a second fight, then he will become another highlight [reel].”

For now, though, Malykhin wants to focus on the bigger picture — to unify the heavyweight belts with reigning divisional king Arjan “Singh” Bhullar.

Bhullar hasn’t defended his crown since he claimed it at the expense of longtime world titleholder Brandon “The Truth” Vera. While the Indian superstar was out, Malykhin saw action twice, earning a pair of knockouts.

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The colossal duo have engaged in several confrontations online since then. If they can carry the same heat into their World Title unification bout, fans will be in for a real treat.