Keanu Subba has always been one of the most talented athletes in ONE Championship’s featherweight division, and at the promotion’s next show, he’ll be ready to remind the global fan base of that.
The Malaysian rising star will square off against Demetrious Johnson’s undefeated protege, James Yang, at ONE: Eersel vs. Sadikovic on Friday, 22 April, and he is determined to earn a quick victory.
In fact, Subba feels he has the upper hand in all areas of the game.
“I believe I’ll have an advantage in the grappling department and also in the striking section. Obviously, experience will be the number one advantage that I have, and I think I’d do better at mixing it up than him. In short, I’d be better everywhere.
“I can finish him on the feet or the ground. If it goes to the ground, I’m even more confident of that finish.”
To date, Subba has earned all of his career victories by either submission or knockout. Also, all six of his ONE Championship wins have ended in the opening frame.
That impressive statistic alone speaks volumes about the Malaysian rising star’s ability to recognize an opponent’s game plan before finding the quickest way to shut it down.
However, if things do not go as planned in his tilt against Yang, then Subba wants to be as dominant as possible and make the decision easy for the judges.
“I believe I’m a finisher. Every second or moment of the fight, I can finish the fight. That’s my thing. If I don’t get the finish, I just got to do my best. My job is to go out there and perform to my best abilities.”
Yang won’t be an easy nut to crack, though.
The 32-year-old lit up the global stage in his professional MMA debut at ONE: REVOLUTION last September, where he ripped through Filipino athlete Roel Rosauro to earn a second-round TKO.
Though he trains alongside former 12-time Flyweight World Champion Johnson and the rest of the studs at AMC Pankration, Subba isn’t worried. That’s because the Malaysian knows it will be just him and Yang when the Circle Door closes.
“He’s training with the best in the world, man. Those guys are the best of the best. They know everything about the game. But at the end of the day, I’m fighting James Yang, not Demetrious Johnson.” (One Championship)
(Photo credits to: ONE FC)