Disclaimer: In Real Life is a platform for everyday people to share their experiences and voices. All articles are personal stories and do not necessarily echo In Real Life’s sentiments.
Agilan Thani, former ONE Welterweight World Title challenger, is one of the most remarkable athletes Malaysia has ever produced. Ever since making his debut in the cage, the man they call “Alligator” has torn through the competition.
Undefeated as an amateur, Thani captured a Malaysian national championship before turning professional, winning six bouts in a row on the global stage of ONE Championship to earn a shot at Ben Askren’s coveted title.
This is his story.
As a child, I used to struggle with obesity and weighed almost 140 kg at one point.[image taken from one fc]
This led to me being mercilessly bullied, from which I sought martial arts training to lose weight and learn how to defend myself.
This proved to be a life-changing decision, as I managed to lose an incredible 55kg in the space of a single year by training in Brazilian jiu-jitsu and other disciplines, transforming myself from an overweight teenager to an elite athlete.
I was 16 years old when I started and ended up competing ever since I was 19 years old. Today, I am 28.
[image taken by the author, mushamir mustafa]
He was making fun of my body, saying, “You have big man boobs and can make milk.”
I got pissed off, took his bag and threw it away. After school, he came up to me and punched and kicked me, then went away.
I just wanted to defend myself at first, but the opportunity never came.
It was very common for me to be bullied when I was young. I just ignored it and didn’t tell my dad because he was going to scold me.
After competing and competing and seeing where it could take me, my goal now is to be the ultimate champion.
[image taken from one fc]
I grew up with a single dad, and I’ve never known my mom. It was my trainer, G Rezwan, who gave me the nickname “alligator” when I was fighting in my first ever round in Johor, back when I was 17 years old.
I have funded my own training throughout my career with minimal sponsors, and as a fighter, we don’t make much money.
It’s real, it’s not like WWE. This is better than the WWE.
My most favourite fighting movie is “Flashpoint”, starring Donnie Yen.
Some things that I have been struggling with include my recent losses—especially the last one because the fight ended quite quickly, and I am still dwelling on it.
The thing is, it’s not easy to compete all the time. That in itself is a big achievement, to perform and be disciplined in what we do.
But you know what? I’ve been in close to 20 fights. And I’ve got to learn how to overcome emotions. If I get emotional, I can get unhinged!
We’ve all got responsibilities and got to “Andrew Tate” it (hustle and make money)!
[image taken from one fc]
Right now, I am training daily at Monarchy MMA in Kuala Lumpur under the well-respected Belgian BJJ coach, Samir Mrabet, and I also regularly travel to the United States to sharpen my skills at the world-famous Team Quest in hopes of capturing the ONE Welterweight World Championship.
Catch Agilan Thani fighting against Ilja Stonjanov for the inaugural ONE Welterweight Title at ONE on Prime Video 3, which will take place on October 22 at the Axiata Arena.
ONE is the world’s largest martial arts organization. ONE produces and distributes world-class events across more than 150 countries, featuring martial artists and World Champions from over 80 nations and all styles of martial arts including MMA, Muay Thai, kickboxing, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, and more.
For more information, head over to: https://www.onefc.com/events/oneonprimevideo3/
Know anyone with an exciting story to share? Drop us an email at hello@inreallife.my, and we may feature the tale!
For more stories like this, read:
“Before passing away to cancer, he called me his hero.” – MMA Fighter Reveals Why He Competes
My First Fist Fight Was When I Was 7 Years Old. 19 Years Later, I Am A Full-Time Muay Thai Fighter
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