Malaysian welterweight contender Agilan “Alligator” Thani needed to produce a career-best performance against the biggest name of his career, and he delivered exactly that to earn a well-deserved unanimous decision victory.
The Kuala Lumpur native met returning Asian martial arts icon Yoshihiro “Sexy Yama” Akiyama in the night’s co-main event, and he was not overawed by the prospect of facing such a legendary figure. He proved that by taking the action to the Japanese-Korean legend from the very first bell.
Akiyama acquitted himself remarkably well for a man who was returning from a three and half year hiatus, and kept the match competitive through all three rounds. However, Thani’s blended offensive attack and output led him to the winner’s circle.
In victory, “Alligator” showed that he is not only fully recovered from his injuries, but he is also back in top form, too.
Note: all photos from YK Tang Photography. Text from ONE Championship website
