LOOK: Danial Williams shares then and now pictures of his training partners to show their growth

Danial Williams paid tribute to the evolution of his training partners.

Williams was born in Australia, but he’s done most of his training in Thailand. ‘Mini T’ started training at Santai Muay Thai at a young age before moving elsewhere. Now that he’s made a name for himself in ONE Championship, the 29-year-old paid homage to the people who helped him improve at a young age.

‘Mini T’ posted several photos of himself and his training partners over the years with the caption saying:

“They could beat me when they were 10. Now they teach me when they're 23 @santaimuaythai ✅”

Williams made his ONE debut in April 2021, losing against Rodtang Jitmuangnon in a Muay Thai bout. Since then, the Australian-born fighter has focused on MMA, winning his first three fights before losing against Jeremy Miado last time out. ‘Mini T’ currently doesn’t have his next opponent, but he has big plans for the calendar year.

Check out Danial Williams shouting out his training partners on Instagram below:

Danial Williams has big plans for 2023

Danial Williams might not be a household name for combat sports fans, but if his plans for the calendar year are successful, he could emerge as a superstar. During an interview with ONE Championship, Williams set high expectations for 2023 by saying:

“I definitely want the [ONE Strawweight] Muay Thai [World Title] belt. I feel that’s mine for the taking this year. In a perfect world, it would be a Muay Thai World Title fight, then a champion-versus-champion fight with kickboxing, and then the Miado rematch. That would be the ultimate 2023.”

Williams continued by saying:

“That would be a perfect scenario, but another thing is getting the fights to set that up, to stay in the top five, and compete against the best martial artists in the world. Win, lose, or draw, even the last fight, make it the best thing to ever happen to you. It’s only upwards, never think you’re going down from here. Just continued growth.”

The strawweight Muay Thai and MMA divisions need title contenders, making Williams’ plan for the year realistic. He also has the work ethic and fighting style to give any opponent trouble. Only time will tell if ‘Mini T’ can become a world champion in 2023.