‘This Was My Dream’ – Nabil Anane Reacts To Career-Defining Win Over Superlek At ONE 172

Last Sunday, March 23, young phenom Nabil Anane turned in a truly sensational performance to even the score with former foe “The Kicking Machine” Superlek Kiatmoo9 in their bantamweight Muay Thai contest at ONE 172: Takeru vs. Rodtang.

Over the course of three action-packed rounds at Saitama Super Arena in Japan, the 20-year-old picked apart the Thai megastar with beautiful combinations, terrifying head kicks, and punches that carried big power.

The clear-cut decision victory marked an incredible redemption moment for Anane, who currently holds the ONE Interim Bantamweight Muay Thai World Title.

In his ONE debut less than two years ago, the Thai-Algerian suffered a crushing first-round knockout loss to Superlek. Anane has gone unbeaten since then, and his lopsided victory at ONE 172 served as a testament to his rapid evolution as a competitor.

After the fight, Anane spoke to the media. The towering striker was quick to thank his team and head coach, former ONE star Mehdi Zatout, while brushing aside talks of moving up to featherweight:

“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.”

For Anane, beating a pound-for-pound great like Superlek was a momentous occasion.

However, the victory was bittersweet. The bout was originally slated to be a ONE Bantamweight Muay Thai World Title unification fight, but when “The Kicking Machine” failed to make weight, he was stripped of the division’s belt.

Whether the undisputed World Title was on the line or not, Anane has plenty to be proud of, having thoroughly outclassed a man who is widely considered the planet’s most talented overall striker:

“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.”

Anane knows that his victory over Superlek was a career-defining moment and one that didn’t come easily. Incredibly, he did what global superstars like Rodtang Jitmuangnon, Jonathan Haggerty, and Takeru Segawa haven’t done – emerge victorious against “The Kicking Machine.”

He said that years of hard work, impeccable discipline, and determination brought him to this point:

“I feel so happy. And tonight, I did great work, and I’m proud of myself. I’m proud of my team. I’m proud of everyone. Thank you so much, to everyone who has always been behind me.

“I had so much sacrifice for this fight for years, and before this fight … [it was a] very, very, very tough preparation and a lot of sacrifices, and tonight, I made it. I’m proud of myself. Thank you to my team, and thank you, everyone.”

Anane Opens Up On Tough Training Camp During Ramadan

While any fight camp at the highest level is a difficult and demanding undertaking, Nabil Anane’s preparation for his rematch with Superlek Kiatmoo9 was particularly arduous.

That’s because, as a Muslim, he spent the final few weeks of his camp fasting during Ramadan, abstaining from food and water from sunrise to sunset.

He explained:

“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.”

Pushing his body to its limit during Ramadan is just one of many ways in which Anane displays his super-human work ethic.

Perhaps that unique work ethic is why he takes issue with fans who discredit his accomplishments due to his height.

Standing at 6-foot-4 tall, the youngster held a massive height and reach advantage over Superlek — but there was much more to his victory over a man who hadn’t tasted defeat in over four years:

“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.”