Keanu Subba will return to action at ONE: ‘Reign of Dynasties’ Part II on Friday after suffering a horrific leg break last year. It has been a long road back to full fitness for the former MIMMA featherweight champion.
Subba, who suffered the broken leg at ONE: ‘For Honor’, faces China’s Tai Kang at the Singapore Indoor Stadium. He is delighted to finally return to action,
“Everything is good. I’m very excited and grateful for the opportunity to be back competing in the ONE championship circle. I’m fully recovered from my injury. Recovering from my leg injury was very tough. There were days where I doubted if I could make a comeback. But with the best support system I’m grateful I made it through. Mentally I feel great. The injury doesn’t bother me anymore, I just need to focus on what I can control.”
Short notice
Subba accepted this fight on fairly short notice but when the opportunity presented itself he seized it,
“I got an offer to fight four weeks ago and I jumped on the opportunity the compete.”
Before getting injured, he was one of the most promising fighters in his division. He had won four out of his previous five fights prior to the leg-break with all of those victories coming by way of stoppage.
Having spent so much time in doing rehab, the 26-year-old has now adapted his philosophy in terms of how he approaches the sport,
“It was challenging but I’m grateful to have made it through the storm. Previously I always focused on the goal, which is to win. So I push myself really hard, leading to injuries. Now, I learn to focus on the journey, the process of getting towards the goal and pacing myself.”
Well prepared
Tang has won his last five fights and will be a robust test of Subba’s sharpness. But the Malaysian star believes he’s well-prepared to get the job done,
“My opponent is tough and explosive. He’s elusive and agile and likes to fight on the outside. We have a game plan in mind and my job is to execute it on fight day.”
Now that Subba has a clean bill of health he is ready to start competing regularly. With Martin Nguyen holding the belt and the likes of Christian Lee and Garry Tonon in the top five there are potentially plenty of big fights on the horizon.
If Subba can return to the kind of form he showed before his injury the possibilities are endless. But after such a prolonged absence he says the goal is simply,
“Showing up and fighting the best I can.”
