Mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter Agilan Thani is hoping to receive backing from the Ministry of Youth and Sports in an effort to make the sport more recognizable throughout Malaysia.
The 21 year-old is doing everything in his power to improve the country’s image, but his fate is destined to be the same of ex-professional boxers Farkhan Haron dan Mirage Khan.
However, MMA is slowly starting to be more known among the local public in the country, especially the youth, so it is not impossible to witness the sport being contested in the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games, Commonwealth Games and Olympic Games in the future.
“We are constantly looking for support from the government and public because sometimes the smallest things can lead to something big,” Agilan said as quoted by Stadium Astro.
“For example, I win a match and earn RM1,000, and the government awards me with RM1,000. I will be able to use RM2,000 for training sessions to make me a better athlete.”
Agilan “Alligator” Thani, as he is referred to by the media, suffered a loss against defending champion Ben Askren at the ONE: Dynasty Of Heroes title championship last Friday.
The defeat in Singapore ensured that Agilan’s winning streak of seven fights was ended.
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