MALAYSIA’S welterweight phenom Agilan “Alligator” Thani made sure Yoshihiro “Sexy Yama” Akiyama had a debut to forget at ONE: LEGENDARY QUEST in Shanghai, China on Saturday, June 15.
Whether it was in the striking or grappling department, the Sentul native came out on top in most of the exchanges. After three rounds of enthralling action, it was no surprise that the Monarchy MMA representative walked away with his 10th career victory.
Despite the enormity of the win, Thani chose to stay focused and not get carried away.
“It was a good win, but I do not want to keep my hopes too high,” the ONE Championship star said.
“I’m still at the start of my journey. I’ve only collected one win, and I’ve got a long way to go. But winning definitely felt good because it’s been a while since I last won a fight, and winning against a big name is cool.”
Thani came out in search of that elusive stoppage victory in the Baoshan Arena, and although he could not find a way to finish the Japanese-Korean mixed martial arts icon, he continued to sting Akiyama through constant pressure and heavy combinations.
Rather than sprawling for his usual double underhooks and takedowns, the “Alligator” showcased his solid boxing techniques throughout the 15-minute duel.
“My boxing was on point. I definitely moved a lot, pivoting in and out of his attacks,” he explained.
“I sharpened it at Bali MMA, but I’ve been working on boxing with Coco (Conrado Furlan) for such a long time. The only problem is I never believed in it too much, but this fight brought out the best in me.”
The win meant a lot to Thani, as it brought an end to his two-bout skid.
With six months to go in 2019, the Sentul native admitted he is craving for more game time in The Home of Martial Arts.
“I just want to get into a couple more wars. I’m enjoying martial arts more than ever, and I want to continue this momentum,” he stressed.
“I want to show everyone what I’m made of, and I want to prove to myself that I’m not a quitter.”
