Nabil Anane was hoping to unify the ONE Interim Bantamweight Muay Thai World Title against Superlek Kiamtoo9 at ONE 172. His Thai counterpart missed weight and was stripped of the title, leading to a three-round affair instead. As if he had a point to prove, Nabil Anane dominated Superlek in ONE Championship’s return to Japan.
Nabil Anane Deployed Successful Gameplan at ONE 172
Nabil Anane utilized his length well, but his skills were on full display. The towering Thai star showed he was much more than just a tall athlete. It was a sterling performance that made him the clear man to beat in the bantamweight division.
“Everything went according to plan, thanks to Mehdi Zatout and his team, who have come up with a plan with him and trained me very hard for this fight. I want to let everyone know that when I’m in camp, my usual weight is around 70 to 71 kilograms (154-156 pounds), and I feel like I don’t want to move up anytime soon,” Nabil Anane remarked after ONE 172.
The match had even more meaning for the 20-year-old star. Nabil Anane debuted in ONE against Superlek, losing by knockout. While he could not unify the gold, he made sure to prove he had learned a lot since their first meeting less than two years ago.
Nabil Anane’s Win Culmination of a Dream
“Yes, winning [against] Superlek means a lot to me. It means very, very much to me because this was my dream and my first goal, and I have achieved it. And the title, I feel bad that it wasn’t a match with a title. But what can I do? I made a lot of sacrifices for this fight because Superlek … to fight him and win was one of my goals. But I thought that I would have the title also. I would have the belt here, but it’s okay. Next time,” the bantamweight talent said.
The Thai star was gracious to his family, coaches, and training partners after the victory. He commented on the sacrifices he had made in the lead-up to the March 23 event. It made the taste of victory that much more sweeter.
“I trained during Ramadan. It’s very difficult for me to adapt my schedule. It was very hard for me, and there were a lot of things that I needed to sacrifice to win. And I feel like I could have done better too, but I sacrificed a lot for this victory over Superlek,” Nabil Anane said.
Nabil Anane Wants All Comers at Bantamweight
While many still focus on his size, Nabil Anane wants to be known for his skill. At the post-event press conference, he was adamant that his length was not his only reason for being able to topple a pound-for-pound king like Superlek. He wishes to invite any and all to step foot onto the global stage to try and prove him wrong.
“Superlek actually weighed a little bit more than I do, and I want to let everyone know because a lot of people think that if you’re tall, you have the advantage. It’s not. I got a lot of hard training. I trained very hard for this. If being tall is the sole reason that you can win, I want to invite everyone who is tall to come and fight and become a champion,” the ONE Interim Bantamweight Muay Thai World Champion said.
