ONE Championship: Agilan Thani open to Roberto Soldic fight – ‘I think they will try to feed me to him’
- ‘The Alligator’ says Croatian ‘Robocop’ has everything to lose should they meet in the cage – ‘I’m just a boy from Malaysia’
- Former welterweight MMA title challenger has reeled off back-to-back victories after contemplating retirement during worst slump of career
Not content with being a “gatekeeper” in ONE Championship, Agilan Thani is on the hunt for a contender after shutting down another prospect.
After suffering the worst slump of his career, the 28-year-old Malaysian is riding high again off back-to-back victories.
The former welterweight title challenger has competed against the top of the division since his professional debut in 2015 for ONE, and he is targeting Roberto Soldic for his return to the spotlight.
“Robocop” needs a win over a big name after an upset defeat by the former champion Zebaztian Kadestam in Denver, and likewise, while Thani is looking to jump back into title contention.
“Actually, I was telling this to my wife the moment I won my [last] fight, ‘I think ONE will try to feed me to Soldic’,” he told the Post. “They want Soldic to be the main guy. Why not, right?
“At this moment, I don’t call the shots. I’m a nobody. If Soldic wants it, he can come and get it.
“It’s not like I have never been knocked out before, or never been choked out. If there is something to be lost, it is all on his side. I’m just a guy from Malaysia.”
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Thani has reeled off consecutive second-round submissions via rear-naked choke in his last two outings – first against Germany’s Ilja Stojanov, on the postlims of ONE Fight Night 3 in Malaysia, and then against Russian Magomedmurad Khasaev, at ONE Friday Fights 29 inside Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok.
Knocking off undefeated prospects is certainly a good case for a step up in competition, and “The Alligator” is keen to avoid the moniker of “gatekeeper” in the division.
“I want to go back to fighting for the title and fighting the top guys,” Thani said. “But I don’t know if I was the gatekeeper … if I was, I think I’m doing a good job beating up these guys.”
Before his current win streak, Thani had lost three straight fights, going winless for nearly four years while battling confidence issues.
“I couldn’t believe I won my fight against Ilya because it was just after three or four years of me winning my last fight again,” Thani said. “After I beat [Ilya], I kinda felt more confident with what I’m doing and how I prepare for my fights.
“Definitely that 0-3 [losing streak] kind of put me on a reset. There were times I was thinking, ‘Is this even what I’m supposed to be doing? Maybe it’s not for a Malaysian boy like me any more. Maybe I should call it quits’.
“But I just turned the tables around and used whatever I had around me and made the best out of it.”
Thani is eager to step back into the ring as soon as possible to continue chasing his title dream – and he claims that we have not seen the best version of him yet.
“I think I haven’t hit my prime,” Thani said.
“I think there is a lot more for me to discover and I cannot wait to see what’s going to happen.”
