MMA fighter Agilan Thani determined to win elusive title

It has been a long road but Penang-born Agilan Thani, 27, is aiming for the ONE Welterweight World Champion title which eluded him in 2017.

At the time, he was defeated in the mixed martial arts (MMA) title match by US Olympian Ben Askren.

Now, it is a time of reckoning for this 175cm-tall professional fighter who got married in March to fellow martial arts buff Anchali Navinaneelayogan and who is also going to be a father soon.

Brought up by a single father, Agilan’s desire to make martial arts his career was not without some resistance.

He said his father could not afford to send him to further his education but agreed to let him have two years to prove himself as a professional fighter before helping him get a “real job”.

And so, he trained, even supporting himself by...