Oumar Kane beat Anatoly Malykhin once. He believes he will beat him every time.
The ONE Heavyweight MMA World Champion makes his first title defence against the former three-division king in the main event of The Inner Circle on Friday, May 15, streaming live from Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok exclusively on live.onefc.com.
Kane won the belt from Malykhin in a split decision at ONE 169 in November 2024. It was the first loss of the Russian's career. A rematch was booked for ONE 173 last November before Kane was forced out following a car accident. Now, six months on, the fight is finally here.
Kane has used every one of those six months. He arrives promising a version of himself that the heavyweight division has not seen before.
"I've changed everything, made upgrades in every skill set. The new Oumar is coming. You can expect me to be stronger, more powerful — and faster," he said. "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 last line matters. Malykhin is not a faded challenger chasing one final shot. At 38, he holds world titles at middleweight and light heavyweight and carries a 14-1 record into Bangkok. The single blemish on that record belongs to Kane, and no one doubts the Russian's motivation to correct it.
But Kane has something no amount of preparation can manufacture. He has already been inside the cage with Malykhin and come out the other side with the belt. He knows exactly what the Russian brings, and he is certain about where it falls short.
"I know him inside and out now. It's going to be an easy fight for me. I know his movement — I know everything," he said.
The pre-fight tension between the two has been building since before ONE 173. Malykhin publicly accused Kane of avoiding the rematch, a claim the champion dismissed. Since then, Kane says, the challenger has gone quiet, and he has a clear read on why.
"He's quiet now because he knows I'm the better fighter. He's not talking now because he's scared. That's the honest truth," he said. "If he talks and then he loses, that won't be good for him. So he's not in the position to talk much. The reality is I'm going to give him my best, again and again and again. He better be ready."
Kane's respect for Malykhin's credentials is genuine. But it does not introduce any doubt about the outcome.
"Don't get me wrong, he's a good fighter. But after facing him, I know we're not on the same level. There's a big difference," he said. "He still can't beat me. He will never beat me."
