ONE Bantamweight Muay Thai World Champion Superlek Kiatmoo9 will face interim titleholder Nabil Anane in a championship unification bout. This happens at ONE 172 on Sunday, March 23, inside Saitama Super Arena in Japan.
This rematch comes two years after their first encounter in June 2023, when Superlek finished the then-promotional newcomer Anane in the first round of their flyweight Muay Thai contest.
Both fighters have been perfect since that initial meeting. Superlek has compiled an impressive 13-fight winning streak since 2022, including victories over top competitors like Rodtang Jitmuangnon and Takeru Segawa. Most recently, “The Kicking Machine” knocked out Jonathan Haggerty in just 49 seconds to capture the bantamweight Muay Thai crown.
Anane, meanwhile, has strung together six consecutive wins after moving up a weight class. The 6-foot-4 phenom earned his spot in this championship bout by knocking out Nico Carrillo within three minutes to claim the interim title at ONE 170 in January.
“The first fight was in the flyweight division and now it’s in the bantamweight division,” Superlek said. “It’s not much different because we’ve all moved up to fight in this division. No one has an advantage or disadvantage.”
Despite dominating their first meeting, the 29-year-old Thai champion expects a much tougher challenge this time against the now 20-year-old Anane.
“After defeating many top-level fighters, I am confident that Nabil will not give in to me easily this time, and it will be a more difficult task for me,” Superlek said. “It will be interesting to see if I can handle him or not.”
The two-sport champion hinted at a potential early finish as well.
“I don’t want to predict much. Let’s just say that I think the odds that this fight will not go the distance is high,” Superlek said.
“I want to show a surprise trick that everyone wouldn’t expect which I’ve prepared for. I guarantee that this fight will be explosive.”