Issue 159

October 2018

Agilan Thani on How to blaze a trail in a country where MMA is unknown

Now that I’ve fought for a world title, Ev Ting has fought for the world title and we have fighters in ONE Championship, MMA is growing in Malaysia and many people are now starting to take an interest.

I found out about MMA when I was 16. I was watching a movie and there was a fight scene. I did some research and found out it was Brazilian jiu-jitsu, so I started finding gyms and learning about it.

I looked at jiu-jitsu tournaments first, then I looked at Strikeforce, Bellator and UFC. I got excited because I always wanted to do something cool with fighting because I was bullied a lot. I wanted to defend myself and I thought if I did MMA, I’d achieve something in my life.

I watched a lot of heavyweights because Cain Velasquez was the man. We tried to learn as much from Cain as we could. 

I started training in 2012 in a small gym in Petaling Jaya – about three miles from Kuala Lumpur. There weren’t many people training and we only had a jiu-jitsu class. There were only one or two Malaysians who had the knowledge to train Brazilian jiu-jitsu and people were doing it for fun after work to get a sweat on. 

The thing that made it more competitive in Malaysia and put it on the radar were the youngsters and the people who were doing the small tournaments in pubs where 50 people would show up. They set up a cage and would put on 10 fights. I didn’t get paid for my first fight. 

I slowly made people around me realize what I was doing was worth the time. I used all my money. I was teaching, working in the gym and doing extra jobs to help me make money so I could go and fight. People started to take an interest and see more youngsters were getting into it, so they started to organize bigger tournaments. When bigger tournaments came, parents started to look at it in a positive way. No parent likes their children getting into fights, but if they are making money, they are cool with it!

My dad is a pretty open minded guy and he gave me a two-year opportunity – do whatever you can for two years, but if you’re not making enough money, you have to get back to reality.

When I first started, I didn’t have much support, but after the fight with Ben Askren, I got a lot of support, even though I lost. The next time we go for a championship fight we will have even more getting into it. Since I came back, everywhere I go people start taking pictures with me and talk to me. I was a pro fighter, 7-0, walking into a mall and nobody knew me. Now I’m 7-1 and every person I see takes a selfie with me. 

ONE Championship is doing a great job in Asia with marketing, exposure, ticket sales and promoting the fighters. When Malaysians see one of their own fighting, all they can do is support them because it’s so action packed. It also helps that at the same time, their countrymen are fighting. 

If I get the opportunity to be in the main event again, I’m more than happy to take it, but there are other fighters in Malaysia who have brought the sport to where it is today. Ev Ting has main-evented three times in Malaysia. The Subba brothers 

[Gianni and Keanu] came before me, too. They should be highlighted more than me. I just got my shot. I just want to be on the main card so my dad can watch me fight.