ONE Heavyweight MMA World Champion “Reug Reug” Oumar Kane has responded to allegations from former three-division MMA king Anatoly Malykhin, making clear he has no intention of avoiding the Russian and is ready to deliver an even more dangerous version of himself in their rematch.
Kane and Malykhin were set to run it back at ONE 173 in Japan last November, a rematch that fans across the world had circled on their calendars. A car accident in Dubai forced Kane out of the fight and left one of the most anticipated heavyweight rematches in recent memory without a date. Now fully recovered, Oumar Kane, the 33-year-old champion is hungry, healthy, and eager to settle unfinished business.
The first meeting between the two sent shockwaves through the combat sports world. “Reug Reug” handed Malykhin the first defeat of his career via split decision in November 2024, stripping him of the heavyweight gold and shattering the myth of the unbeatable three-division king.
Oumar Kane Shuts Down Running Accusations
Kane wasted no time addressing Malykhin’s claims head-on. The heavyweight champion made clear that a man who already defeated his rival has no reason to feel fear, “Reug Reug’s” tone left little doubt about where his confidence stands heading into their eventual rematch.
“I’m running from him? Why would I be scared of this guy, man? This guy has no power. I’ve already beaten him. I’m not running away from you Malykhin. I fought you for five rounds, why would I run away? The next version of Oumar Kane is coming. The hungry Oumar,” Oumar Kane said.
The Senegal native made his ONE Championship debut in 2021, defeating multiple-time Muay Thai and Kickboxing World Champion Alain Ngalani in less than five minutes. From that explosive entrance, “Reug Reug” went on to claim six impressive victories over top heavyweight MMA fighters before his coronation moment arrived in November 2024, when he defeated the then-undefeated Malykhin via split decision to claim the heavyweight gold.
Oumar Kane Reveals Surprising Discovery About Malykhin’s Infamous Power
One of the most striking revelations in Oumar Kane’s comments concerned his experience of absorbing Malykhin’s vaunted left hook. The Russian’s knockout power had long been considered among the most dangerous in all of ONE Championship, having toppled some of the promotion’s finest heavyweights. Kane’s first-hand account challenges that reputation in striking fashion.
“Before I fought him the first time, I thought his left hook was very hard and powerful. During our fight, I thought to myself, why is it that when he hits people, they go down? I’m thinking about this and I ask myself why when I took it, it was easy? I ate this like it was easy,” Oumar Kane said.
“Reug Reug,” who ate 18 lamb chops in one sitting, built the foundation of his combat sports career in Senegalese wrestling before transitioning to MMA. Malykhin, now 38, remains the reigning ONE Light Heavyweight and Middleweight MMA World Champion despite the loss at heavyweight, keeping his status as a two-division king.
Oumar Kane Salutes Malykhin’s Showmanship While Eyeing Bigger Picture
Image Courtesy of ONE Championship.
For all the verbal sparring between the two camps, “Reug Reug” has also taken a step back to acknowledge what the rivalry means for the sport as a whole. Rather than dismissing Malykhin entirely, the champion framed their dynamic as exactly the kind of theater that martial arts fans deserve.
“Anatoly is a great opponent. He sells the fight. He does everything. When I wind him up, he replies. That’s what we need. It’s good having good fighters. It’s great having great fighters. But we need to entertain the fans. We’re here to entertain the fans,” Kane said.
Kane’s overall ONE record stands at seven wins and one defeat, a body of work built almost entirely against top-tier heavyweight competition since his 2021 debut.