Oumar Kane Arrives Upgraded And Unintimidated For Anatoly Malykhin Rematch At The Inner Circle
Oumar “Reug Reug” Kane is the only man to have beaten Anatoly Malykhin. He knows what that means, and he has spent every session since making sure that knowledge translates into an even more complete fighter this time around.
The ONE Heavyweight MMA World Champion makes his first title defence against Malykhin at The Inner Circle on Friday, May 15, live in Asia primetime from Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand. Their first meeting at ONE 169 last November ended in a split-decision win for Kane that handed Malykhin the first defeat of his professional career. The rematch has been building ever since.
Kane has not stood still since that historic night. The Senegalese heavyweight carries a 7-1 record and five consecutive wins into this defence, with every camp since ONE 169 focused on widening the gap between himself and the division.
“I’ve changed everything, made upgrades in every skill set,” Kane said. “The new Oumar is coming. You can expect me to be stronger, more powerful — and faster. At the same time, I think Anatoly is going to be better also. I expect him to be a lot better compared to our first fight. It would be wrong to underestimate him.”
That respect for Malykhin’s ability is genuine. The 38-year-old Russian holds the ONE Middleweight and ONE Light Heavyweight MMA World Titles simultaneously, carries a 14-1 record, and has finished every opponent he has faced except Kane. He arrives at May 15 as a man with a singular purpose — to avenge the only loss of his career and reclaim the heavyweight title that once made him the most decorated fighter in ONE Championship history.
Kane’s counter to that motivation is the one thing Malykhin cannot replicate: he has already solved the puzzle. Every tendency, every timing pattern, every response to pressure — Kane has seen it all at the highest stakes possible.
“I know him inside and out now,” Kane said. “It’s going to be an easy fight for me. I know who Anatoly is after fighting him in the ring. I know his movement — I know everything.”
The war of words between the two has quietened considerably since Malykhin’s public accusations ahead of their cancelled ONE 173 rematch, when he claimed Kane was stalling. Kane has a clear read on what that silence signals.
“He’s quiet now because he knows I’m the better fighter,” he said. “He’s not talking now because he’s scared. That’s the honest truth. The reality is I’m going to give him my best, again and again and again. He better be ready.”
His confidence in the outcome is total and without qualification.
“Don’t get me wrong, he’s a good fighter. But after facing him, now I know we’re not on the same level. There’s a big difference,” Kane said. “He will never beat me.”
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