Agilan Thani is a big favorite with the Malaysian fans. He’s already a veteran of eight ONE Championship fights and the Kuala Lumpur native is sure to get a rousing reception when he goes up against Amitesh Chaubey on Friday.
Thani will be looking for his second successive win at ONE: Visions of Victory and is a leading contender for the welterweight title, which currently sits vacant. The 22-year-old has already had one shot at the gold, coming up short against recently retired champion Ben Askren, but he’s in no hurry to get a second.
“I just have one win (since the Askren defeat) and I feel I still have a long way to go. I’m happy that ONE is continuously giving me the opportunity to work my way back up.”
Chaudey is a former SFL welterweight champion and the star of a viral video that has been viewed millions of times. The Indian knocked a showboating opponent out in under 10 seconds and Thani says he is well aware of his opponent’s power.
“I watched most of his fights. He is a very well rounded fighter with heavy hands that can give anyone a bad day.”
Had Thani beaten Askren, it would have gone down as perhaps the greatest upset in MMA history. But many people in Malaysia were surprised and disappointed to see their favorite fighter defeated and he puts this down to the nature of the loss.
“The main reasons is because I fought Askren, but I did not do anything at all in the fight. I just got choked out. I have always thought of myself as a person who was not so famous, but when I lost, everyone started to know me. It was big surprise for me.”
Thani has the profile and he can put himself right in the middle of the title picture with a win on Friday. However, he says he’s not looking beyond his next fight.
“I’m not worried about the vacant title right now. My mind is on Amitesh and whoever ONE puts in front of me. I know when the time is right, I will get my opportunity and hopefully seize on it.”
While many of the fighters representing Malaysia train overseas, Thani is still based in his hometown. He represents Kuala Lumpur based camp Monarchy MMA and, while it’s been a struggle to find big enough sparring partners in the past, he says the current setup is “perfect.”
Malaysian fighters Ev Ting and Gianni Subba are both in the title mix. But Thani would be the most popular champion and his sights are firmly set on that prize.
“My goal is to be a world champion and constantly defend my belt.”
