’s sporting dreams have taken him from small-village life in ꦬR♈ussia to the bright lights of ONE Championship.
On October 4 in U.S. primetime, the #5-ranked strawweight MMA🧔 contender will return against #2-ranked at , where he’ll look to climb closer to a 🔯World Title shot.
Malachiev’s desire to be a good role model has seen him forge a path to the global stage of martial arts, and he hopes to deliver another inspiring performaꦅnce at Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thaila🦄nd.
Find out about the 32-y🌸ear-old’s journey ahead of this high-profile matchup next month.
A Happy Childhood In Dagestan
Ma🌊lachiev was born in ౠa village in the Dagestan region called Zabutli-Miatli. His parents ran a grocery store in the mountainous area, which is home to fewer than 5,000 people.
He looks back f❀ondly on his childhood, which saw him spend plenty of time in nature:
“There are four children in the family. My older brother, two younger sisters, and me. I had a good relationship with my parents. Of course, there were times when we got in trouble, but I believe we💟 were a happy family.
“I was a shy child. My💧 fa🍌vorite childhood activity was swimming in the river with friends, and I also went fishing with my father and grandfather.”
The youngs꧅ter thrived in the classroom alongside lots of friends, preferring to avoid confrontation while getting on with his studies.
He said:
“School was a wonderful time! Most of my classmates were g🐻ood friends. I di▨d pretty well in school.
“To be honest, I di🔴dn’t like fighting as a kid. I always tried to resolve conflicts without getting into fistfights.”꧙
Taking Up The National Sport
Like many kids in Dagestan, Malachiev star🍸ted wrestling at a young age. It only took him one session to realize it was the perfect fit.
However, given the sport’s popularity in the region – with some of ꧟the world’s best wrestlers forged in “The Land of Mountains” – the level of competition meant Malachiev had to dedicate himself to his craft.
He explained:
“After my first training sessioဣn when I was around 8, I realized I𒉰 wanted to do sports. My parents fully supported me. Training really helps you feel the fullness of life.
“My first compe🍒titions were at school. I remember once I came in second place, and that motivated ﷺme to work harder and train even more.”
🦩Despite h🐎is natural talent, Malachiev almost left wrestling behind when he finished school and real life got in the way.
He moved to the city t🌞o work, but that’s when he found MMA an𝕴d embarked on a new journey:
“There was a 🍰t𒉰ime when I quit sports and moved to work in the capital of Dagestan, Makhachkala. After some time, two years or so, I decided to start training again to stay in shape and improve my striking technique, as there was an MMA gym near my workplace.”
Finding Success In MMA
Malachiev took 🐻well to mixed martial arts, with his new coach quickly recognizing his potential.
The rising star won several regional titles in both MMA a🅘nd co♓mbat sambo and decided to move into the professional ranks to see how far he could take it:
“Th✤e coach noticed my progreﷺss and suggested I compete at a more serious level. In 2014, I had my first professional fight.
“I started to realize I was good at it, whi🌼ch gave me additional confidence. The suppor♛t of my family and friends provided huge motivation to keep improving my skills.”
Still, it was not an easy time for the Zabutli-⭕Miatli native, who had to push forward af🥃ter the passing of his father.
He recalled:
“The death of my father was a very difficult period for me. I was deeply attached to him. He always support🎀ed me💜 and was there by my side.
“The only thing left is to accept what happened as ♉an inevitable part of our lives, something giveඣn to us from above that we cannot change.”
Becoming A Positive Role Model On The Global Stage
With a perfect 10-0 slate on the Russian circuit, Malachiev signed a deal with the world’s largest martial arts orgಌanization in 2023.
He debuted in ONE with a submission victory over and then rebounded from his lone career defeat to current ONE Strawweight MMA World Champion with a victory over fo🥂rmer king .
Now ranked among t♑he division’s top five, Malachiev doesn’t just want to succeed on the global stage for his own sake – but also to stand as🍎 a positive influence in a world that has its fair share of negativity.
He added:
“In these challenging times, I want to be an example for the younger generation. I hope that young people can lead active and healthy lifestyles, look up to athletes, and take inspiration from th🌼eolog♑ians and virtuous people.
“I aspire 💎to be such an exﷺample myself, serving as a form of motivation for them.”
