Since its inception in 2011, ONE Championship has unearthed plenty of talent worldwide.
Not only has the organization produced a slew of World Champions in mixed martial arts, kickboxing, and Muay Thai, but it has allowed fans to be inspired by these real-life superheroes’ trail to success.
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Malaysia is one of the countries that has benefited from The Home Of Martial Arts’ vision and mission, and here we take a look at some of the finest heroes who ply their trade on the global stage of martial arts.
Agilan Thani
Still only 24 years old, the Sentul native has built a solid reputation for himself in the promotion.
In his first couple of years with ONE, Agilan went on a 7-0 run, finishing all but one of his opponents inside the opening stanza. That earned him a shot at Ben “Funky” Askren’s ONE Welterweight World Title in May 2017.
Though he could not overcome the grappling prowess of the American athlete, Thani fared well against the undefeated martial artist.
Since that World Championship bout, the “Alligator” has picked up four more wins, including a memorable victory over Japanese-Korean martial arts icon Yoshihiro “Sexy Yama” Akiyama.
With time on his side, Agilan is looking to make another run at the World Title in the future.
Jihin Radzuan
Already one of the leading stars in the women’s atomweight division, Jihin “Shadow Cat” Radzuan’s rise to the top has been nothing short of inspirational.
Similar to Agilan, the Johor Bahru native was once an overweight teenager, and martial arts allowed her to unlock her true potential.
With five wins in the past three years against the likes of Puja “The Cyclone” Tomar, Priscilla “Thatie” Hertati Lumban Gaol, Jenny “Lady GoGo” Huang, and Jomary “The Zamboanginian Fighter” Torres, the “Shadow Cat” has shown that she has what it takes to overcome a variety of challenges in her quest to be her country’s first-ever female mixed martial arts World Champion.
Ev Ting
The most experienced hero from the Malaysian stable, Ev “E.T.” Ting is a perfect example of a true martial artist.
The Auckland resident overcame several challenges in life to be the nation’s top lightweight talent and holds the accolade as the first-ever Malaysian to challenge for a mixed martial arts World Championship belt.
Ting owns a couple of highlight-reel performances against world-class opponents such as Eric “The Natural” Kelly, Honorio “The Rock” Banario, Cary Bullos, Nobutatsu Suzuki, Daichi Abe, and Koji Ando, and he is never afraid to enter a slugfest against warriors of different calibers.
His mission is to earn another shot at the ONE Lightweight World Title, and we are confident he will be back at the pinnacle of the division in no time at all.
Keanu Subba
Keanu Subba is a perfect role model for young martial artists keen to make it to the top of their game.
During his free time, Keanu always finds ways to improve his skillset, and his appetite for knowledge has been transcended in the Circle with a 100-percent finish rate in all of his triumphs against the likes of Phoe “Bushido” Thaw, Chao Xie, and Waqar Umar.
At present, the 25-year-old is recovering from a shin injury he suffered against Ryogo “Kaitai” Takahashi in May 2019, but with a never-quit mentality, there is little reason to doubt that he will shine once again on the global stage of martial arts.
Gianni Subba
With good looks to match his unique skills, Gianni Subba is undoubtedly a fan favorite every time he graces the stage in Kuala Lumpur.
The Bali MMA flyweight athlete possesses a unique mixture of striking and grappling and has come a long way since his promotional debut in 2012 against Bruce Loh at ONE: RISE OF KINGS.
With a knack for knockouts and cheeky submission attempts, the half-Malaysian half-Nepali is a complete phenom, waiting to leave a mark in the Circle when he gets the clear to compete again.
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