Agilan Thani
Malaysian MMA fighter Agilan Thani built his career through accessible BJJ, distinct coaches, and tactical reinvention after injury.
Biography
From Monarchy to a title challenge
Training and employment at Monarchy developed into a fighting career. Thani became a MIMMA welterweight champion and made his ONE Championship debut in March 2015. By May 2017 he had reached a welterweight title challenge against Ben Askren in Singapore with seven professional wins. Askren ended the bout with an arm-triangle choke 2 minutes 20 seconds into the first round, leaving Thani with a 7–1 professional record. Thani's later account of the defeat was less about the mechanics of the submission than his state of mind. Looking back in 2020, he said he had been starstruck by Askren and had not believed enough in himself. He subsequently trained with Team Quest in the United States on a trip sponsored by the Malaysian Indian Congress. The trip was one of several occasions on which he looked outside his home academy for another perspective while retaining the technical base built at Monarchy. The next major interruption was physical. Thani said an old back injury worsened during 2018, a period in which he lost to Zebaztian Kadestam and Kiamrian Abbasov. Surgery and recovery kept him from normal training from late December through the following months. He considered leaving the sport, and credited teammates with supporting him while he could not train. Barbosa added a practical dimension to the layoff: in his account, time away was frightening because Thani depended on fight income for rent and food. His return required a change in how he prepared as well as a return to competition. Before facing Yoshihiro Akiyama, Thani adopted a different strength-and-conditioning routine. Barbosa later pointed to another adjustment during 2019: Thani followed Furlan's revised program and rested when told to, instead of treating being first into the gym and last out as the answer to every problem.Adjusting in the fight
The Akiyama bout on 15 June 2019 showed that process under pressure. Akiyama threw Thani early, but Thani recovered and combined boxing with takedowns. Chasing repeated takedowns began to tire him. From the corner, Furlan told him to box while moving backward and attack takedowns from that movement. Thani made the adjustment and won a unanimous decision after three rounds at ONE: Legendary Quest. The performance also reflected work beyond Kuala Lumpur. Thani said he had sharpened his boxing at Bali MMA after years with Furlan at Monarchy. By March 2020, he was training in Florida at Sanford MMA, formerly Hard Knocks 365, alongside Martin Nguyen and Aung La N Sang and under Henri Hooft. He described the trip as a search for the parts that could improve his own game as ONE's welterweight field grew more competitive. It was a selective approach: bring outside lessons into a game whose core had been built by Mrabet, Barbosa, and Furlan. At ONE Friday Fights 29 on 18 August 2023, Thani submitted Magomedmurad Khasaev with a rear-naked choke 3 minutes 14 seconds into the second round. ONE now labels him a former athlete of the promotion. FightFam MMA currently lists him among its coaches, specifically in MMA.Sources for this profile
FightFam MMA, Coaches, accessed 14 September 2026.(opens in a new tab)
FightFam MMA lists Agilan Thani among its coaches, with MMA as his discipline.
Where in the source: Agilan Thani card in the coach list; anchor: MMA.
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ONE Championship, Agilan Thani’s Transformation From Bullied Overweight Teen To Malaysian Hero, 14 March 2020.(opens in a new tab)
Agilan Thani is a Malaysian mixed martial artist from Kuala Lumpur.
Where in the source: Opening identification: Malaysia and Kuala Lumpur.
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Thani grew up in Sentul and described wanting to lose weight. Karate classes proved too infrequent; an initial jiu-jitsu gym was unaffordable. He found Monarchy MMA at sixteen.
Where in the source: Sections on childhood and first training; anchor: Salvation In Martial Arts.
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He began working at Monarchy as his training increased, became MIMMA welterweight champion, and made his ONE debut in March 2015.
Where in the source: Career transition after the first Monarchy classes; anchor: MIMMA Welterweight Title.
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Looking back in 2020, Thani said he had been starstruck by Askren and had not believed enough in himself. He later trained with Team Quest in the United States on a trip sponsored by the Malaysian Indian Congress.
Where in the source: Sections around the Askren loss and subsequent travel; anchor: Team Quest.
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ONE Championship, Agilan Thani’s Love For BJJ Gave Him Confidence And A Career, 5 December 2018.(opens in a new tab)
At Monarchy he initially wanted to learn several martial arts; accessible BJJ classes became his main route into grappling.
Where in the source: Opening paragraphs after the introduction; anchor: most easily accessible.
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Thani recalled repeatedly losing to Russian and Kyrgyzstani training partners at the start, then improving enough over roughly six months to earn their respect.
Where in the source: Early training recollection; anchor: after six months.
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Bruno Barbosa promoted Thani to brown belt during 2018. Thani valued receiving that promotion from his regular teacher, since other promotions had come from visiting instructors or trips abroad.
Where in the source: Middle of article, promotion discussion; anchor: promoted to brown belt.
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By December 2018 he taught white- and blue-belt students at Monarchy, enjoyed demonstrating guard passes, and still asked students to explain unfamiliar submissions when they caught him.
Where in the source: Teaching discussion near the end; anchor: white and blue belts.
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In that 2018 interview he wanted to keep learning, reach black belt, and expand jiu-jitsu in Malaysia.
Where in the source: Closing ambition; anchor: throughout Malaysia.
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ONE Championship, The Coach Who Gave Direction To Agilan Thani’s Life, 6 December 2019.(opens in a new tab)
Samir Mrabet gave Thani work at Monarchy, helped him lose nearly sixty kilograms, and taught him both grappling and striking as he developed toward amateur MMA competition.
Where in the source: Mrabet's practical support after the opening; anchor: gave him a job.
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Thani credited Mrabet with the foundations of his fence wrestling and ground jiu-jitsu, which he still used in 2019.
Where in the source: Thani explains his technical foundations; anchor: on the wall.
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As running Monarchy drew Mrabet away from daily coaching, Barbosa and Conrado Furlan took on more of Thani's technical development. Thani associated Barbosa with encouragement and Furlan with detailed technical instruction.
Where in the source: Second half, changing coaching responsibilities; anchor: day-to-day coaching.
Accessed:
Bear Frazer, ONE Championship, Agilan Thani’s BJJ Coach Breaks Down His Bond With His Student, 20 March 2020.(opens in a new tab)
In March 2020 Barbosa said he had known Thani since coming to Malaysia in 2013 and had taught him from white through brown belt.
Where in the source: First and development answers; anchor: since 2013.
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Barbosa described a student who learned quickly but also tested alternatives: after being shown positional escapes, Thani would try another solution. Barbosa said this could teach the coach something too.
Where in the source: Answer about development and escape variations; anchor: alternative way.
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Barbosa said injury had disrupted Thani's takedowns and that time away worried him because he depended on fight income for rent and food.
Where in the source: Answers on injury and financial concerns; anchor: rent and food.
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For Barbosa, Thani's 2019 improvement included following Furlan's revised program and taking rest when instructed, instead of always being first to arrive and last to leave.
Where in the source: Answers about the following year's improvement; anchor: not train.
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ONE Championship, Agilan “Alligator” Thani athlete page, accessed 14 September 2026.(opens in a new tab)
ONE's athlete page labels Thani a former ONE athlete when accessed on 14 September 2026.
Where in the source: About Agilan Thani; anchor: Former ONE Athlete.
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ONE Championship, Agilan Thani Overcame Injury And Depression To Return Stronger, 8 June 2019.(opens in a new tab)
Thani said an old back injury worsened during 2018; he then lost to Zebaztian Kadestam and Kiamrian Abbasov. Surgery and recovery kept him from normal training across late December and the following months.
Where in the source: Injury chronology before the recovery discussion; anchor: late December and March.
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During recovery Thani considered leaving the sport. He credited teammates' support while training was impossible and returned with a changed strength-and-conditioning routine before the Akiyama bout.
Where in the source: Recovery recollections and concluding preparation; anchor: quitting did cross my mind.
Accessed:
ONE Championship, Ben Askren Defends Belt, Ends Agilan Thani’s Unbeaten Streak, 27 May 2017.(opens in a new tab)
In May 2017 Thani challenged Ben Askren for ONE's welterweight title in Singapore. Askren finished him with an arm-triangle choke at 2:20 of the first round, leaving Thani with a 7–1 professional record.
Where in the source: Opening result and final record paragraph; anchor: 7-1 record.
Accessed:
ONE Championship, Agilan Thani Eyes More Entertainment After Epic Akiyama Battle, 19 June 2019.(opens in a new tab)
On 15 June 2019 Thani defeated Yoshihiro Akiyama by unanimous decision after three rounds at ONE: Legendary Quest.
Where in the source: Opening account and decision near the end; anchor: unanimous decision.
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After Akiyama threw him early, Thani recovered and mixed boxing with takedowns. He said chasing repeated takedowns later made him tired; Furlan urged him to box while moving back and attack takedowns from there.
Where in the source: Thani's account of early throw and corner adjustment; anchor: change the game plan.
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Thani said he had sharpened his boxing at Bali MMA after longstanding work with Furlan at Monarchy.
Where in the source: First post-fight account of boxing preparation; anchor: Bali MMA.
Accessed:
Michael Owens, ONE Championship, Agilan Thani Taking Skills To A New Level Outside Malaysia, 10 March 2020.(opens in a new tab)
By March 2020, Thani was training in Florida at Sanford MMA, previously Hard Knocks 365, alongside Martin Nguyen and Aung La N Sang and with coach Henri Hooft.
Where in the source: Opening account and Thani's thanks; anchor: Sanford MMA.
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He explained the trip as a chance to find what improved his own game while the ONE welterweight field was becoming more competitive.
Where in the source: His aims for training and the closing explanation; anchor: one step at a time.
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Bear Frazer, ONE Championship, ONE Friday Fights 29 – Results And Highlights For Every Match, 18 August 2023.(opens in a new tab)
At ONE Friday Fights 29 on 18 August 2023, Thani submitted Magomedmurad Khasaev by rear-naked choke at 3:14 of round two.
Where in the source: Fight Card, Welterweight MMA block between atomweight and flyweight; anchor: round two.
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Lineage
No teaching connections are shown on this page.
Open lineage