Interim ONE Bantamweight Muay Thai World Champion Nabil Anane will face undisputed divisional king Superlek Kiatmoo9 in a title unification bout at ONE 172 on Sunday, March 23, at Saitama Super Arena in Japan.
The matchup features two of the most dominant forces in Muay Thai, with both fighters on impressive winning streaks since their first encounter two years ago.
Standing at 6-foot-4, the 20-year-old Anane has transformed since Superlek finished him in the first round of their June 2023 flyweight clash at Lumpinee Stadium. After moving up in weight, the French-Algerian phenom has collected six straight victories, including a devastating knockout of Kulabdam Sor Jor Piek Uthai that earned him a six-figure ONE contract, and a three-minute destruction of Nico Carrillo to capture the interim title at ONE 170 in January.
“Two years ago, I didn’t know nothing about small [4-ounce] gloves. I didn’t have this experience,” Anane said. “I’m totally different. Very different. It was a big lesson, and I learned a lot in that fight. I’m sure that it’s not going to be the same this time.”
Meanwhile, 29-year-old Superlek has been unstoppable, riding a 13-fight winning streak that includes victories over Rodtang Jitmuangnon and Takeru Segawa. Most recently, “The Kicking Machine” knocked out Jonathan Haggerty in just 49 seconds to add the bantamweight Muay Thai crown to his collection, making him a two-sport and two-division ONE World Champion.
Despite the impressive hardware on the line, Anane’s motivation is deeply personal.
“I’m looking just for the win. I just want to beat Superlek,” Anane said. “I don’t even think about the belt. I just want the win. I just want to beat Superlek. That’s it. That’s what I want in this fight.”
The young fighter credits his initial defeat for his current success.
“It was quite a hard time, but I was just a kid, and I grew up a lot,” he said. “If I didn’t have that lesson, maybe I wouldn’t be here today,” Anane said. “But it happens, you know? I just learn from it and grow up.”