“He hit me, and I felt nothing” - ‘Reug Reug’ says his ‘African power’ caught Anatoly Malykhin by surprise

Reigning ONE heavyweight MMA world champion 'Reug Reug' Oumar Kane exuded confidence as he entered a match-up against a seemingly indestructible force of nature.

The odds were certainly against the Senegal giant when he took on undefeated Russian mauler Anatoly Malykhin at ONE 169 last year.

But after five rounds of intense action, it was clear that the underdog bested 'Sladkiy' and rightfully took home 26 pounds of gold back to Senegal.

According to Kane, the overconfident Malykhin made the fatal mistake of underestimating his 'African power' and paid the ultimate price.

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The 33-year-old behemoth told ONE Championship:

“Everybody said Anatoly is good. He is very good. He has striking. His boxing is very good. But I am Oumar, you know? Oumar is number one. He hit me some, but I have African power. He hit me, and I felt nothing. In my mind, I said, ‘Yo, keep going.'”

'Reug Reug' weathered Malykhin's avalanche of powerful striking and grappling, becoming the first fighter to outclass the Russian in battle. However, the chapter of their rivalry is only heating up, as the long-awaited rematch finally has a date.

The new heavyweight MMA kingpin will defend his throne against Malykhin in the co-main event of ONE 173: Superbon vs Noiri on Nov. 16 at Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan.

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Rampage will corner 'Reug Reug' at ONE 173

A familiar face will return to Japan after it was confirmed that MMA legend Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson will be in 'Reug Reug' Oumar Kane's corner for his first world title defense.

The heavyweight MMA champ's manager revealed this exciting development during the ONE 173 press conference:

"He's going to bring Rampage with him to pass over the ceremonial banner of huge fighters in the region. And he feels like this fight with Anatoly stamps him as one of the greatest heavyweight MMA fighters in the world, and he hopes that Anatoly appreciates Oumar for giving him a chance for the rematch."

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Edited by Tejas Rathi