Myanmar’s up-and-coming star Tial Thang is brimming with confidence and excitement ahead of his second bout under the ONE Championship banner.
The 26-year-old Burmese prospect will square off with South Korea’s Kim Woon Kyoum in a three-round bantamweight encounter at ONE: ‘Mark Of Greatness’ which is set to take place in Kuala Lumpur tomorrow,
A protégé of two-division ONE champion Aung La Nsang, he arrived in the Singapore-headquartered organization on a triumphant note this past March, defeating Rin Saroth by unanimous decision.
Despite being known as a dominant grappler, due to his credentials as a four-time Chin State wrestling champion, Thang dictated the pace in the striking department against an opponent with a Kun Khmer background.
Exclamation point
He earned himself a decision win and says it was an enjoyable experience,
“I wasn’t nervous at all. I really enjoyed that specific moment. I’ve always enjoyed competition, and I never really get nervous. My opponent in that match specializes in striking. I thought about striking with him. The timing was good, so I kept aware of pressing forward,” Thang said about the fight.
Thang admitted that he was expecting to finish Saroth within three rounds, but the opportunity did not present itself.
“I was hoping for a knockout. I knew I could finish him by either knockout or submission. That’s no disrespect. I just know that I am a better fighter. But I am happy with how it turned out. I’m always looking forward to the next one,” he stated.
Relaxed and confident
‘The Dragon Leg’ is relaxed and confident that he can confirm his status as one of the brightest young recruits of ONE Championship by continuing the winning form that he exhibited in his promotional debut nine months ago.
The man standing in his path is Kim, a ONE Warrior Series alumnus. To prepare for the challenge and ensure his physical strength, Thang has dedicated extra time in the gym at Hard Knocks 365 in Florida to increase his power.
“I’ve been doing conditioning drills for faster and more efficient executions in the fight and pack more power. And, as usual, I’ve been working on my striking and ground game. He is a good grappler with decent striking, so I’ve been training for constant scrambles on the ground while sharpening my strikes,” he explained.
Outpouring of support
Though he will not be drawn on a prediction this time around, Thang carries a quiet confidence thanks to having more time to prepare for his second trip to the ONE Championship cage,
“I’ve been training and improving for many months now, and I think this is a great opportunity to tell everyone in the division that ‘Hey, there is a new guy right here.’ It’s definitely a chance to make an impression. I can’t wait to showcase what I’ve worked for in the gym,” he expressed.
Aside from the fact that a victory will put him one notch higher in his weight class, Thang knows that he will step under the bright lights with the full support of his country behind him.
With so many people in Myanmar now aware of his professional career he is determined to make his fans proud by winning on Friday,
“It’s such an honor and blessing for me to fight for the people in Myanmar. The heavy outpouring of support is overwhelming. In return, I want to go out and give my best to encourage more and more people. I can’t wait to put on a very entertaining fight for them,” Thang declared.
