Despite not being able to reach a contract with heavyweight world champion Ajan Brahr, 34-year-old Russian star Anatoly Maleshyn still has the opportunity to get the coveted gold belt. He will launch an interim heavyweight world title battle with European wrestling champion Kirill Grishchenko in "ONE: Tigers Out of the Mountains" on February 11.
In Maleshin's mind, the belt was not "temporary." "I don't think it's a temporary championship belt, I'm going to be a real champion. If the champion refuses to defend his title, he is no longer the champion. I was at my peak, Blair was afraid of me, his spirit was destroyed by fear and he didn't dare to face me. Maybe he has a good career record, but he's not a fighter! ”
Maleshin is not afraid of anyone, he has a perfect record of 10 wins, and his opponent Kirill Gryshchenko, although only has 5 games of experience, has never lost. Malexin believes that he will give his opponents a taste of the first defeat in their careers. "Kirill is a good boxer and I respect him, but he's not in the same grade as me and has no chance of winning. He has some unconventional percussion moves, such as turning around and elbowing, and is also good as a wrestler, but not my opponent. I've seen flaws in his technology. He didn't have enough strike power, lacked speed and the ability to grasp the timing. He said he would KO me, but when he woke up with my KO he would know it was all delusional. ”
Maleshin has proven himself explosive and well-rounded in the cage. He firmly controlled the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Alexander Machado on the ground, proving his ability to fight with consecutive smashing punches to win the TKO. In standing, he koed Iran's heavyweight wrestling world champion Amir Ali Akubari with a powerful punch. Kirill, on the other hand, won three rounds with Dustin Joycen in the last game, and his finishing ability seems to be inferior to Thatrehim's, so he was not optimistic before the game.
Kirill: "I'm happy to have the chance to win the championship. I train hard for this and try my best to achieve my goals, this will be a great opportunity for my career, I will bring wonderful battles to boxing fans, prove that I am the best boxer in the world. It doesn't matter what people say, I'm used to not being favored, and I want to prove not only to the audience, but also to myself. Give me a chance and I'll try to grab it. ”
"Maleshin is a high-level opponent. I watched all his games, he was very technical, I was ready and improved myself in every way. I won't reveal my tactics, I can only say that I am ready to fight him for five rounds, believing that I will stick to the end. If given the opportunity, I was also ready to knock down the opponent. I don't like to talk harshly, let's talk with our fists. ”
Maleshin didn't want to fight five rounds against his opponent, and he wasn't even prepared to let Kirill stick to the third leg. "Kirill will be KO by me, ending him in the first round or at most the second round. When I enter the cage, I will show my strength and bring about an unforgettable and wonderful battle. I will be the champion and rule the heavyweights for a long time. Forget about Blair, he's gone into the dustbin of history and we're going to have a new champion. ”
Do you think anatoly Marehin or Kirill Grishchenko can become the interim heavyweight world champion?