Tial Thang ready for return, promises fans he and Aung La N Sang are gunning for their best year in the circle

'The Dragon Leg' Tial Thang is prepared to do whatever it takes to go on a winning run again. He plans to kick-start a year of good fortune against Indonesian star Sunoto Peringkat at ONE: Bad Blood on Friday, February 11.

The ONE fighter, who trains at Sanford MMA alongside former two-division world champions Aung La N Sang and Martin Nguyen, firmly believes he's ready for his greatest year yet as a professional mixed martial artist.

Ahead of his return at ONE’s third event of the year, Tial Thang dropped a short message on his Instagram.

“I’m back in the @onechampionship circle on Feb 11th. I will start off the stacked card Bad Blood with a bang and I guarantee you will see the best version of me. Thanks to my trainers and training partners at @sanfordmma for getting me ready.”

'The Dragon Leg' meets Sunoto in the evening’s curtain-raiser. He wants to showcase an improved version of himself in what will be the fifth fight of his career.

Tial Thang got his professional career up and running in 2019 by earning two decision wins over more experienced contenders Rin Saroth and Kim Woon Kyoum. The 28-year-old athlete showcased a mix of his striking, grappling and explosiveness in the Circle during those two outings. He was unfortunate not to have secured a stoppage win.

He returned to his gym in the United States to train even harder. In January of last year, ‘The Dragon Leg’ finally earned the finish he'd been waiting for against Indonesian veteran Paul Lumihi at ONE: Unbreakable III.

He suffered his first career defeat six months after his latest win, going down to South Korea’s Song Min Jong by judges' decision.

However, defeat is part of sport and if the Myanmar star can put that behind him and focus on his next mission, fans can expect another memorable performance from one of the hardest workers at Sanford MMA.

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Tial Thang to Aung La N Sang: “Let’s make this the best year yet”

In an Instagram story on Monday, January 31, the bantamweight star responded to Aung La N Sang’s post, offering fans a glimpse of the bond they share.

Tial Thang reshared it with a message to the MMA legend:

“It has been a long difficult journey, but I love it all. Thank you for standing by me for the past 6 years. Let’s make this the best year yet.”

Both stars have been sharpening their tools under the guidance of Henri Hooft at Sanford MMA for years. Their improvements have shown every time they put their skills on display on the global stage.

Other notable names in the industry who ply their trade at the gym in Deerfield Beach, Florida are Martin Nguyen, Michael Chandler, Robbie Lawler and Luke Rockhold.