The duo will square off once again on Sunday, 16th November, inside Tokyo’s Ariake Arena, and they both announced that they are working with heavyweight royalty in preparation, while at the ONE 173 press conference this past Monday.
“Reug Reug” will be cornered by former UFC light heavyweight champion and Pride Fighting Championships veteran Quinton “Rampage” Jackson for his first defense of the crown, which he took off Malykhin last November, and he sees it as a passing of the torch.
“I feel the tradition of Japanese MMA runs through my blood. A lot of legends started here. I’m next in a long line,” Kane declared.
“I will bring Rampage Jackson with me to pass over the ceremonial banner of huge fighters in the region.”
Meanwhile, Malykhin told the press in attendance at the media event that he is working with fellow Russian, and arguably the most revered heavyweight in MMA history, Fedor Emelianenko, in the hopes of reclaiming the heavyweight MMA crown and adding it to the middleweight and light heavyweight belts he currently holds.
Emelianenko’s dominance in Japan in the early 2000s remains the stuff of legend. He won all 14 bouts under the Pride banner, including the heavyweight crown, becoming one of the most beloved battlers in MMA along the way.
Naturally, Malykhin’s ambitions extend beyond simply recapturing the throne. He wants to become the next great Russian to capture Japanese hearts and plans to follow in his training mate’s footsteps to do so.
“I heard there is a legendary Russian fighter here, Fedor Emelianenko, so I would like to inherit this tradition and show this beautiful MMA,” Malykhin stated.
“I am already practising with [Team] Fedor and others, so I am very much looking forward to that match coming up.”
