MMA fighter Agilan Thani determined to win elusive title

It has been a long road but Penang-born Agilan Thani, 27, is aiming for the ONE Welterweight World Champion title which eluded him in 2017.

At the time, he was defeated in the mixed martial arts (MMA) title match by US Olympian Ben Askren.

Now, it is a time of reckoning for this 175cm-tall professional fighter who got married in March to fellow martial arts buff Anchali Navinaneelayogan and who is also going to be a father soon.

Brought up by a single father, Agilan’s desire to make martial arts his career was not without some resistance.

He said his father could not afford to send him to further his education but agreed to let him have two years to prove himself as a professional fighter before helping him get a “real job”.

And so, he trained, even supporting himself by working as a cleaner in the gym. Despite the trials, his determination to be a professional MMA fighter paid off, snatching a four-year win streak spanning his whole amateur and early pro career.

“When the pandemic started, I did delivery jobs before the gyms were allowed to reopen. After that, I was back teaching and fighting at the gym, “ Agilan told Malaysiakini.

“It was not hard. I have been through this kind of phase in my life before. I have been through injuries and I have been through good times and bad times.

“I fight for a living, so I have won and lost multiple times. I take risks. That is how it works,” he explained when asked how he coped during those trying lockdown days.

Martial arts journey

Agilan’s journey into martial arts began when he was a schoolboy who weighed almost 140kg at one point.

“I started at age 13 by learning karate. I wasn’t very consistent or disciplined. At age 16 I started Brazilian jujitsu.”

Once he started training seriously, he had to work on maintaining his weight to qualify for his chosen weight division.

His roundabout path, picking up various martial disciplines, also gave him an advantage.

“Right now, I do a lot of boxing, kickboxing, wrestling and Brazilian jujitsu,” he said.

Agilan is also determined to take another shot at glory and is currently working on a repeat of the world title bout that he fought for in 2017.

Asked if he is thrown into the ring with Askren right now, would he be better prepared, Agilan humbly said, “I think that is something that is beyond my control.”

“I think I am more skilled than I was back then, I am much wiser and more knowledgeable.

“But I am not sure because Askren is a world-class fighter. He was an Olympian. He is older than me and has far more knowledge. But I stand a better chance right now than I did the last time.”

He is also now teaching Brazilian jujitsu, boxing and strength conditioning at Blueprint Martial Arts, which is located in Desa Parkcity, Kuala Lumpur.

While there is a belief that jujitsu is great for those who may not be as strong because this martial art uses the strength of the opponent against them, Agilan says training is still necessary.

“You have to train hard to make this martial art effective. At the end of the day, it is a combat sport and you have to put some effort into it.”

These days, he is concentrating on discipline and attaining a more peaceful state of mind.

“My job is to be competitive, but I try not to be competitive with everyone,” said Agilan, who is determined to see just how far this new approach will take him.

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