Fan Favorite Danial Williams Aims For Another ‘Action Packed’ Fight At ONE 159
Following a pair of impressive victories, “Mini T” Danial Wiliams wants to continue his meteoric rise in mixed martial arts.
On July 22, the former WMC Muay Thai World Champion will return in a strawweight MMA contest against Zelang Zhaxi on the main card of ONE 159: De Ridder vs. Bigdash.
It’s another chance for the Australian-Thai slugger to showcase his talent in the all-around sport, but he’s expecting a difficult test at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.
Above all, Williams is bracing for a well-rounded, experienced opponent who will attempt to push him out of his comfort zone.
He told ONE Championship:
“It’s a tricky fight. It’s one of those fights where it’s hard to build a game plan, but I’m preparing for the worst. And the worst is him just shooting for takedowns, fighting it on the ground, and that’s what I’m going to expect him to do.
“He’s got so many fights in MMA, so I feel it’s going to be a really tough fight for me – probably the hardest MMA fight that I’ve had at this point.”
Zhang is certainly a seasoned competitor. He owns a stellar 19-6-1 slate, including a trio of victories in ONE Hero Series – the promotion’s Chinese developmental league.
The Sichuan native also won the Road To ONE: China tournament and is eager to prove he belongs on the main roster.
But while the man nicknamed “Small Gun” owns 10 career knockouts, Williams expects to hold the upper hand in any stand-up exchanges.
“Mini T” said:
“His boxing is good, he’s also got fast hands, but I think his biggest flaw is his striking. From what I’ve seen, he’s quite quick and he can throw his combos together, but I think when he’s throwing those power shots against me, he’s going to be frustrated, and that’s when he’s going to want to shoot for the takedowns.
“I think I’ll be able to handle his grappling or takedowns, and I’ll slowly take him apart in the stand-up department. I want to break him really. I want to land those good shots, but not go too crazy hunting for the finish. I want to touch him multiple times, and the more I land, the faster he will wear down.”
Danial Williams Hopes To Earn Fights Against Top Strawweights
Danial Williams has been one of the most exciting athletes in ONE Championship since he joined the promotion, and he believes that fan-friendly style has played a big part in his rapid rise.
The 29-year-old debuted last April against ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Champion Rodtang Jitmuangnon and helped deliver the promotion’s 2021 ONE Super Series Fight of the Year.
He then transitioned from Muay Thai to MMA and won a pair of fast-paced contests over Dejdamrong Sor Amnuaysirichoke and Namiki Kawahara – something he’ll attempt to replicate against Zelang Zhaxi on July 22.
The Scrappy MMA and Kao Sok Muay Thai representative said:
“To me, I only have 15 minutes to perform, and I want to ensure that each minute is me exerting my energy and skills to the fullest. That’s how I put on good fights, and I think that’s one of the reasons why I keep on getting called back to compete. I always train to keep the action packed, so I want to excite the fans and get the win.”
Ultimately, “Mini T” wants to face the strawweight MMA division’s top dogs, but he won’t rush his ascent.
The humble Perth native simply hopes to keep impressing fans and division rivals alike, and he believes that mindset could lead to greater opportunities in the future.
Williams added:
“I definitely have been putting some of the fighters that have been there for a while on notice, the Lito Adiwangs, the Jeremy Miados. I won’t get too ahead of myself in MMA, but I just want to focus on getting better and see how I perform in this fight before fighting the next guys.
“I respect the top five, they’re all very good. I hope I carry on putting entertaining fights so that the guys in the strawweight MMA division will be willing to fighting me.”
