What Led Featherweight Sensation Keanu Subba Back To Malaysia

Keanu Subba (6-3) has always trained wherever he could.

Whether it was in the backyard with his brother – ONE Championship flyweight contender Gianni Subba – and just a pair of gloves, or in a world-class facility catering to elite professionals, he has always found a way to do what he loves.

Ahead of his featherweight clash with undefeated local Phoe Thaw (6-0) at ONE: PURSUIT OF GREATNESS in Yangon, Myanmar on Friday, 26 October, he has returned to his roots in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and his home gym of Monarchy MMA.

The 24-year-old has been a long-time member of the gym, but he traveled to Bali, Indonesia for his most recent training camps and worked alongside top-class sparring partners.

Now, Subba is back at Monarchy full-time, and the rise of mixed martial arts in the nation’s capital means he can have the best of both worlds – home comforts and quality preparation.

“The level in Malaysia now is not like how it used to be,” he explains.

“We have good athletes coming in and training, and it’s definitely higher than it used to be. I feel really comfortable doing my camps here.”

As with any region where a sport is developing, it takes time to build the right infrastructure, and then to produce top-level athletes.

Kuala Lumpur is now one of the centers for combat sports in Asia, and having its homegrown mixed martial artists representing the city will only help it grow further.

With more and more rising stars coming through the ranks, the pro team practices are filling up, and there is plenty of coaching talent to keep the competitors sharp.

“Fighters’ practice is every morning, and then we’ll do jiu-jitsu with coach Bruno Barbosa on an evening, or drills with my brother, who’s been helping me with my camp at home,” the Malaysian featherweight says.

“We have a lot of good training partners. Agilan Thani is there every day, [as well as] our coaches – we have a good Iranian wrestler – and good-level guys who I’m grateful to be training with.”

Aside from the excellent training sessions at Monarchy, the two-time MIMMA Featherweight Champion gets to spend more time in the city he knows better than any other.

That also means he can see his loved ones much more frequently.

“I can visit my family more often, and I live here with my girlfriend, who helps me a lot,” he says.

“She’s very understanding of what I do, and helpful. She helps me with my diet and makes camp much easier, and it’s good that I’m not away so we can see each other every day.”

Training for several hours every day in preparation for a match takes a huge toll on an athlete.

These martial artists put their bodies on the line to improve and be ready for the challenges in the cage – and put on a show for the fans.

Recovery and maintenance are as essential as practice, and one of the advantages of Kuala Lumpur is that Subba has access to specialists he trusts to keep him in prime condition for competition.

“I have sponsors here to get me through the hard training, especially my physiotherapists and chiropractors who fix me every week,” he adds.

KL is not quite perfect – the featherweight admits the traffic is “terrible” and he is no longer 15 minutes from the beach like he was in Bali. However, he is absolutely thrilled to be back home.

Overall, life in the Malaysian capital allows Subba to be athletically prepared, emotionally balanced, and in peak physical condition. This means he can focus on the best end result, which is having his hand raised after his match with Phoe Thaw.

“It’s great,” he says. “We have good team spirit, and my teammates here are always willing to give extra help. It’s a good place to be.”