Malaysia’s mixed martial arts scene has been on the rise in recent years, and several of the nation’s top athletes have displayed a wide knowledge of martial arts throughout their time with ONE Championship.
Competitors like the Subba brothers have a well-versed taekwondo style, whereas Agilan “Alligator” Thani possesses a tasteful eye for Brazilian jiu-jitsu and wrestling.
Here are three of the country’s finest athletes who have a very distinct martial arts background.
Agilan “Alligator” Thani (9-2)
Style: Wrestling/Brazilian jiu-jitsu
The former ONE Welterweight World Title challenger is a well-rounded athlete, but he is known for his top-notch wrestling, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, and his commanding takedowns.
The 23-year-old Monarchy MMA product has continuously thrilled with his submission grappling style, as he often locks in double-underhooks before landing with captivating takedowns.
Thani, a MIMMA Champion, has dominated the likes of Sherif Mohamed and Trestle Tan with his swift strategy and brute strength. He will display his skills against Kyrgyzstan’s Kiamrian Abbasov (19-4) next at ONE: DESTINY OF CHAMPIONS in Kuala Lumpur on Friday, 7 December.
Gianni Subba (9-3)
Style: Taekwondo/Brazilian jiu-jitsu/Boxing
The elder of the Subba brothers is the epitome of a mixed martial artist, as his arsenal of both stand-up and ground skills making him a formidable opponent.
Having competed in the most bouts in ONE’s flyweight history, the 26-year-old has secured his victories through a mix of submissions and knockouts – the two most notable being his striking techniques and his punishing body kicks.
This shows that his background in taekwondo plays a part in his style. In addition to that, he also has admirable boxing skills, which can be observed when he creatively ‘feints’ his opponents for his punches to follow through.
On 7 December, he meets Chinese national wrestling champion “The Southern Eagle” Ma Hao Bin (12-4) at ONE: DESTINY OF CHAMPIONS.
Jihin “Shadowcat” Radzuan (3-0)
Style: Brazilian jiu-jitsu/Muay Thai/Boxing
The MIMMA Women’s Champion brings her electrifying grappling, superior Muay Thai striking, and powerful boxing knowledge to the ONE cage.
Radzuan has surprised fans over and over again with her ground game and her itch for striking opponents, which is not surprising — she was a professional boxer and Muay Thai competitor before joining The Home Of Martial Arts.
In the 20-year-old atomweight’s past two match-ups in the Axiata Arena, she displayed sharper striking skills to complement her rapidly-developing ground game. She beautifully threw low kicks and hooks to set up her impressive takedowns.
The Malaysian sensation’s proficiency in these three martial arts has seen her emerge victorious in all of her bouts. She hopes to extend her record to a perfect 4-0 when she faces former ONE World Title challenger Jenny “Lady GoGo” Huang at ONE: DESTINY OF CHAMPIONS.
