Anatoly Malykhin says his wife Anita saved his career before his ONE Heavyweight MMA World Title rematch against "Reug Reug" Oumar Kane at The Inner Circle on 15 May. The 38-year-old fights to reclaim the belt he lost to Kane at ONE 169.
Malykhin now holds the ONE Middleweight and Light Heavyweight MMA World Championships. He lost the heavyweight title to Kane by split decision at ONE 169 in 2024, which was the first defeat of his 14-1 professional career. That setback pushed him into deep personal reflection.
The Russian star said Anita carried him through dark times, including betrayal and thoughts of retirement, as he prepared for the rematch. He shared that her belief in him is stronger than his own faith in himself, and that this support
kept his career alive.
"My wife is the one person who believes in me more than I believe in myself. I had moments in my life where nobody believed in me. When I began talking to my love, I really had no belief in myself," Malykhin said.
Kane Aims To Defend Heavyweight Against Malykhin
Standing opposite Malykhin is 34-year-old Oumar Kane from Senegal. Kane enters The Inner Circle with a 7-1 MMA record and four wins by finish. The Black Panther Sports and Reug MMA fighter arrives on a five-fight winning streak built on powerful Senegalese wrestling.
Kane's wrestling pressure proved decisive at ONE 169. His style overwhelmed Malykhin in their first meeting and convinced the judges to award him the split decision. That performance cost the Russian his heavyweight crown and ended his long unbeaten run in ONE Championship.
Malykhin said his past included betrayal by people close to him. Those experiences left emotional scars and made him doubt his path in mixed martial arts. He admitted that he considered quitting the sport three or four times before finding the strength to continue.
"I had a pretty rough past where people would do me dirty, those very close to me, and I [thought about quitting the] sport maybe three or four times," he said. Those memories stayed with him even as he rose through the ONE ranks.
Anita Brings New Change To Russian Champion
Meeting Anita changed his outlook. Malykhin said his wife gave him new energy and motivation that he had never felt before in his fighting life. Her presence turned into the key factor behind his current push for another run at heavyweight gold.
"When I met my wife, it was as if there was a new surge of energy. I've never felt such newfound drive, ever. Everything I do, I do it for them, and I'm happy to do it, it's my greatest motivation," Malykhin said.
