Danial Williams aims to become a three-sport world champion

Fighting under the ONE Championship banner gives competitors the opportunity to compete under different martial arts rulesets, something Danial Williams has made good use of.

After stepping foot inside the Circle for the first time as a Muay Thai competitor, ‘Mini T’ spent the entirety of last year competing in MMA and establishing himself as a legitimate contender in multiple disciplines.

For his next contest at ONE Fight Night 8 on March 24, Williams will return to his striking roots for a Muay Thai contest with Portugal’s Rui Botelho.

With dreams of becoming a world champion in multiple sports, the Aussie fighter is grateful for the options that ONE Championship provides him with. In an interview with the promotion, Williams said:

“It'll be crazy. But that's why you got this platform in ONE. I love my martial arts. I want to make history mine, and it has to be both, and I'll do all the different sports. I think it's really exciting. It makes life really interesting. It's super challenging, and that's what I like. It's how I improve, not only in martial arts but also in life.

“I've always done lots of things as a kid. I played every single sport. I was very fortunate. Whatever sport I wanted to do, my parents were happy to take me. It was like I was always training for different sports after school anyway. I feel like it suits me because I guess I can get bored quite easily if I'm doing just one thing at the same time. It's cool that I can do both, and I think I can manage it well.”

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Danial Williams recalls how he started training Muay Thai as a teenager in Thailand

After competing in MMA throughout 2022, Danial Williams will step inside the Circle for the first time in 2023 to compete in Muay Thai for the first time since his debut with ONE Championship.

Facing off against Rui Botelho at ONE Fight Night 8 on March 24, Williams is excited to remind everyone of his skillset.

Ahead of his return, ‘Mini T’ has been doing a lot of reflecting on his upbringing and journey into martial arts. In a recent interview with ONE Championship, he recalled how he got started in Muay Thai:

“First of all, I came [to Thailand] about 13 years ago. I was only 17. I [had] just finished high school, and I always wanted to do a bit of training in Thailand. My Muay Thai was really ramping up. I had my first fight when I was 15. And then when I finished high school, I really ramped it up around my studies.”

He continued:

“Northern Thailand, my mum's from the north. I was born in the north of Thailand before I went to Australia when I was one year old. Because my dad's Australian. I wanted to pick a gym in the north, just so it's close to family, if I ever needed to visit them on my mom's side. And Chiang Mai is about three hours from where my entire family lives, in Chiang Rai.”

Williams looks back on his decisions with fond memories, finding a perfect sport to compete in with a great team behind him:

“So when I was looking on Google, picking gyms, there were a few gyms, and Santai just seemed more appealing online. I hit them up, and I only just started as well. It had only been a few months since they started their gym.

"It was the best decision I ever made, because I came here, and then I really loved it, absolutely loved it, and then I ended up getting offered a sponsorship to come back. Over the three years, I just came back quite regularly, around my studies. And that's how it all began.”

Williams was very active in the competition last year. He went on to say that being active is something that has been a big part of his career from an early stage.

“This is where I developed my Muay Thai skills, because I could regularly fight when I was here. I feel like fighting is the best place to learn. So, yeah, that's how it all came to fruition.”

ONE Fight Night 8 will emanate from the Singapore Indoor Stadium and will be available live and for free to all Prime Video subscribers in North America.