{"id":97066,"date":"2025-08-26T12:04:07","date_gmt":"2025-08-26T12:04:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/97066\/"},"modified":"2025-08-26T12:04:07","modified_gmt":"2025-08-26T12:04:07","slug":"were-not-just-friends-but-family-ibragim-dauev-opens-up-on-brotherhood-with-anatoly-malykhin","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/97066\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018We\u2019re Not Just Friends, But Family\u2019 \u2013 Ibragim Dauev Opens Up On Brotherhood With Anatoly Malykhin"},"content":{"rendered":"

Russian standout Ibragim Dauev\u2019s<\/a> road to stardom in ONE Championship could have unfolded very differently had it not been for two-division MMA World Champion Anatoly \u201cSladkiy\u201d Malykhin<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The 24-year-old will carry with him the wisdom and guidance of his mentor and friend when he returns to action against undefeated Akbar \u201cBakal\u201d Abdullaev<\/a> in featherweight MMA action at ONE Fight Night 35: Buntan vs. Hemetsberger on Prime Video<\/a> on Friday, September 5.<\/p>\n

Dauev\u2019s first exchange with the ONE Light Heavyweight and Middleweight MMA World Champion began when he was contemplating a move to Thailand in search of better career opportunities.<\/p>\n

With no connections there, the Chechen fighter contacted \u201cSladkiy\u201d for some advice. Right away, he was greeted by an athlete who understood the challenges of being far from home to pursue greatness.<\/p>\n

He recalled:<\/p>\n

\u201cI first reached out to Anatoly, asking for help with my fight. He responded immediately and suggested I contact Anita. He advised me. Together, they helped me get a fight in ONE Championship.\u201d<\/p>\n

With an opportunity to debut in the world\u2019s largest martial arts organization locked in, the featherweight MMA standout packed his suitcase and jetted off to Thailand, swapping the snowy mountains of Chechnya for a chance to train alongside the Russian superstar.<\/p>\n

As soon as he arrived, Dauev was greeted by the five-foot-ten heavyweight at the airport. The 37-year-old Malykhin even sorted out his accommodation, showed him around the city, and took him out for dinner.<\/p>\n

The gesture of hospitality from \u201cSladkiy\u201d immediately demonstrated the person he was beyond his fearsome reputation inside the Circle:<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s a great person: a reliable friend, a devoted family man, and an exceptional athlete to follow.\u201d<\/p>\n

What began as a simple request for help soon evolved into a bond that shaped the Fight Club Akhmat and One Chance representative\u2019s career perspective.<\/p>\n

Malykhin\u2019s influence on Dauev extends into every aspect of the young warrior\u2019s development, providing guidance that shapes both his attitude towards competition and his character as a human being.<\/p>\n

For the 24-year-old, this comprehensive approach has proven invaluable as he seeks to extend his perfect promotional campaign to 4-0 in his next outing:<\/p>\n

\u201cAs a mentor, he\u2019s really great \u2013 he always tells you what to do. His mentorship has influenced me in everything, both in and out of the ring. In the ring, he toughened my character, and outside the ring, he showed me that the most important thing is to be human.<\/p>\n

\u201cRight now, I think our relationship is like a brotherhood \u2013 we\u2019re not just friends, but family. I respect him as my older brother, and he reciprocates my respect.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dauev Inspired By Malykhin\u2019s World Title Accomplishments<\/p>\n

With the chance to share the mats alongside his Russian compatriot over the past year, Ibragim Dauev knows success on the biggest platform of martial arts will require him to push himself beyond his limits.<\/p>\n

That being said, Malykhin\u2019s hunger in training is second to none, and \u201cSladkiy\u201d brings the same fire with him in every session. This same drive, which inspires Dauev, powered Malykhin to becoming MMA\u2019s first-ever three-division World Champion<\/a> last year.<\/p>\n

Their bond serves as a constant reminder that dreams can become reality. Of course, with the right dedication, discipline, and focus.<\/p>\n

Dauev told onefc.com<\/a>:<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s always a pleasure to train side by side with a World Champion \u2013 you feel that you can become a champion yourself one day if you work just as hard.\u201d<\/p>\n

Looking to the future, Dauev\u2019s ambitions mirror those of his mentor\u2019s, with ONE\u2019s coveted 26-pound golden belt serving as the ultimate goal.<\/p>\n

His confidence in both his own potential and Malykhin\u2019s continued success reflects the unshakable belief that their brotherhood has instilled.<\/p>\n

When the young Russian is done with Abdullaev at ONE Fight Night 35, he hopes to repay the favor and assist Malykhin on his road to reclaiming the ONE Heavyweight MMA World Championship in his rematch against reigning divisional king \u201cReug Reug\u201d Oumar Kane<\/a> at ONE 173<\/a> in Tokyo, Japan, on November 16.<\/p>\n

The Fight Club Akhmat and One Chance representative shared:<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s going to have three belts \u2013 it\u2019s going to happen. And I want to become a champion like him. If he could do it, then I can do it \u2013 I know it\u2019s just a matter of time.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Russian standout Ibragim Dauev\u2019s road to stardom in ONE Championship could have unfolded very differently had it not…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":97067,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[570],"tags":[64,63,786,785,85],"class_list":["post-97066","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-mma","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-fighting","tag-mma","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/97066","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=97066"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/97066\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/97067"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=97066"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=97066"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=97066"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}