‘A Dog Will Always Be a Dog’: Anatoly Malikin Welcomes Potential ‘Easy Money’ in ONE Heavyweight Showdown with Umar Cain

ONE MMA Heavyweight Contender, Senegalese Powerhouse Umar Kanehas been absent from the circle since his last bout against Marcus Armedhia at ONE Fight Night 13: Allazov vs. Grigorian in August 2023. Although Cain previously expressed a desire to pursue boxing, he seems unable to resist the allure of MMA and ONE Championship. Shortly after his last victory, he declared his intention to challenge the current ONE MMA three-division world champion. Anatoly Malykin What if their paths crossed?

Anatoly Malikin has ignited a social media war against Kane with a new Instagram story that appears to be a disrespectful attack on the fighter. The online spat could be a sign of the brewing rivalry between the two powerhouses and a possible fight in the future.

Malikin eyes 'easy money' fight with Umar Kane

Anatoly Malikin is coming off a commanding victory over Rainer de Ridder at ONE 166: Middleweight MMA World Championship in Qatar. With this win, he has solidified himself as a true force to be reckoned with in ONE Championship. He has previously held the ONE Heavyweight and Light Heavyweight titles, making him a three-division ONE MMA World Champion. Malikin is undoubtedly one of the most dangerous fighters in the organization right now.

Anatoly Malikin's latest social media post sparked a spat with Umar Kane. In the photo, Malikin is standing with a championship belt around his waist and a dog on a lead holding a toy resembling Kane's head. The caption reads:A dog is always a dog” is clearly aimed at Kane. Mullikin added: “The time has come when money can be easily obtained” he said in Russian, suggesting he thinks the fight against Kane would be an easy win.

Without a doubt, Mullikin has a right to be confident, but he mustn't forget that “Leug Leug” is on a three-fight winning streak and is a major threat, especially after dominating Marcus Almedia in a hard-fought 15 minutes at ONE Fight Night 13 last August. The win significantly increased the chances that Umar Cain could challenge Mullikin for the title. Back in March, Mullikin had mentioned Cain on social media as a future opponent, hinting at the man's potential as a challenger.

Umar Kane responds to Mullikin's call-out list

Current ONE Heavyweight World Champion Anatoly Malikin is not only a knockout artist in the ring, he's also a bit of a showman. After defeating Reinier de Ridder at ONE 166: Qatar, Malikin couldn't help but show off his growing collection of championship belts, a stark reminder of his dominance across multiple weight classes. And that's not all: In April, he made waves with a wild Instagram post in which he rode a three-headed dragon, with each head representing a different heavyweight challenger for the crown.

Malikin's social media boasting caught the eye of “Leug Leug,” who didn't hesitate to hit back at him in the comments section. “Your head will fall off first,“Malikin is amazing,” Kane wrote, issuing a clear warning and indicating he is unfazed by Malikin's reign of terror. While Malikin's record may be more impressive on paper, ONE Championship has not officially recognized Kane as its next challenger. Still, Kane's latest win was a dominant display of wrestling and knockout power, proving he is a serious threat to the champion's throne.