THERE were some impressive victories at ONE: Mark of Greatness in Kuala Lumpur, but few could have matched Agilan “Alligator” Thani’s (pix) stunning display inside the Axiata Arena.
The young Malaysian welterweight phenom ruined Dante Schiro’s perfect record and claimed the 11th win of his career.
Despite the positive outcome, the Sentul native thinks he could have done better during some exchanges of the three-round welterweight duel.
“It was supposed to be a fight that I wanted to dominate from start to finish, but I did not manage to do it,” the 24-year-old said.
“I was a bit sloppy here and there, and I rushed too much. But it is okay, I learn new things every time, and I picked up something new from this fight too.”
“I’ve got a lot of things to work on from here.”
The crowd inside the venue were at their loudest when their favorite welterweight martial artist made the long walk towards the circle. Once inside of it, he reminded the fans why he was a former World Title challenger from the opening bell, slamming Schiro to the ground on two occasions.
Round two kicked off at a blistering pace, as both athletes swapped heavy leather. On the canvas, Thani was at his usual best. However, the Monarchy MMA athlete’s search for a finish on the ground nearly cost him the battle towards.
Schiro, competing out of Chosen Few Gym, reversed positions with Thani and jumped on his back, locking in a body triangle before trying for a rear-naked choke.
“With Yushin Okami, I ended in that same position for almost the whole of the second round. With Dante, it lasted for only 45 seconds, but he almost got the choke in,” the man from Malaysia said.
“However, I hung on as I knew I was not going to give up the fight easily. I needed the win more than him, and I think that pushed me further.”
In the end, Thani put in another convincing performance to earn the split decision win.
With another win on his record, the “Alligator” is ready to reach the pinnacle of the welterweight division in 2020.
ONE Championship kicks off 2020 in Bangkok, Thailand, with ONE: A New Tomorrow on Friday, Jan 10.
