Deepavali will be different this year for mixed martial artist Agilan ‘The Alligator’ Thani.
The 27-year-old, who grew up in Sentul, Kuala Lumpur, got married earlier this year. The Alligator is ready to take a bite out of fatherhood and is expecting his first child on Dec 1.
“Being a dad is even scarier than stepping into the cage,” joked Agilan, who defeated Ilja Stojanov via submission (rear naked choke) in Round 2 at ONE on Prime Video 3: Lineker vs Andrade on Saturday.
“Until now, I do not know what to expect. It will be a new journey for me and my wife (Anchali Yogan).
“As for Deepavali, it will be a quiet one. We will have a family dinner, and then I will focus on the last months of her pregnancy.
Agilan said his Deepavali wish is for everything to go smoothly during the delivery.
Although a soon-to-be first-time father, Agilan has the perfect role model in his dad, Thanigasalam, 60.
While growing up, it was Thanigasalam who raised Agilan single-handedly.
Thanigasalam was a restaurant supervisor who oversaw several eateries in Kuala Lumpur. He kept a busy schedule and occasionally did not get home until the wee hours of the morning.
Agilan had to do the laundry, clean the house, buy groceries, and prepare meals on his own. He even walked more than six kilometres alone, to and from school.
“My dad did whatever he could to bring me up. He never made me feel bad about growing up without a mother,” said Agilan.
“There were times when he was not around due to work commitments. It could have been tough, but it made me independent from a young age.”
That independent spirit saw him ‘defy’ his father’s wishes as Thanigasalam was initially against his son learning mixed martial arts, as he did not see a future in it.
Agilan, however, stood firm as he saw salvation in MMA. A chubby child bullied at school, Agilan sought refuge at Monarchy Gym, where he quickly shed his insecurities and weight.
Despite Thanigasalam’s initial misgivings, he supported Agilan by giving him money to train and buy equipment.
As he slowly made his way up the rankings, Agilan proved to his father that he could make a living in mixed martial arts.
Agilan rose through ONE Championship and had a world title fight with American Olympian Ben Askren in 2017, but lost that bout.
Now that he is back in the cage, Agilan hopes to climb back into the title picture and have gold around his waist as a gift to his future child.
For now, Agilan is focusing on welcoming the new edition to his life. He promised to follow in his father’s footsteps and shower his son with love and affection.
“I will keep an open mind and adapt to the situation in raising a child. I want to give my all to ensure the best for my wife and child,” said Agilan.
“One thing’s for sure is that I want to give him a good healthy lifestyle.”
