Two-division ONE Championship titleholder Anatoly Malykhin, in an exclusive interview with Telecomasia.net, addressed reports claiming that event organizers were seeking a replacement for Oumar Kane at ONE 173.
Malykhin was scheduled to face Kane in a heavyweight title rematch as the main event of ONE 173 in Tokyo, Japan, on November 16. However, Kane withdrew from the bout after a car accident left him with injuries. Shortly afterward, social media rumors surfaced suggesting Mamadou Kamara, known as “Boucher Ketchup,” might step in as a replacement. Belarusian fighter Kirill Grishenko, who had lost to Malykhin by knockout in February 2022, also volunteered to take the fight.
This is nonsense. There won’t be a replacement for me on November 16. None of the potential opponents would have enough time to secure a visa to Japan. This is just media noise – fighters trying to drum up attention ahead of the event.
The first bout between Malykhin and Kane took place in November 2024 at ONE 169, with Kane losing by split decision. His professional record stands at seven wins and one loss. Malykhin holds a record of 14 wins and one loss.
