“Awkward and tricky” - Thai icon Buakaw says Superlek looked out of his element in Nabil Anane rematch

Thai striking legend Buakaw Banchamek still cannot believe what he saw from fellow countryman and former ONE bantamweight Muay Thai world champion 'The Kicking Machine' Superlek Kiatmoo9.

To the Thai icon, Superlek did not seem like himself in the pound-for-pound star's latest fight.

Superlek is coming off a harrowing unanimous decision loss to 20-year-old Algerian-Thai phenom Nabil Anane at ONE 172: Takeru vs. Rodtang, after being stripped of the bantamweight gold for missing weight for the world title tiff.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Buakaw talked about Superlek's loss to Nabil Anane, and why it was so difficult for 'The Kicking Machine'.

He said:

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"That left hand that Nabil threw is solid. He keeps using it. Nabil's good. Superlek seems to be in trouble. It's a tough match for Superlek, awkward and tricky."

ONE 172: Takeru vs. Rodtang was broadcast live from the iconic Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan last Sunday, March 23. Fans in the United States and Canada can catch all the action via replay on-demand on watch.onefc.com.

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Superlek Kiatmoo9 explains what went wrong in Nabil Anane rematch at ONE 172: "The real issue was my mental state"

Former bantamweight Muay Thai king and current flyweight kickboxing titleholder 'The Kicking Machine' Superlek Kiatmoo9 of Thailand says the problem in his loss to Nabil Anane had nothing to do with his physical condition.

The problem was Superlek's mental capacity for that fight, after being stripped of his belt, was compromised.

'The Kicking Machine' said in a video posted on Yokkao's YouTube channel:

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"As for the physical side, I could’ve fought well. Not much pain when kicking. The real issue was my mental state. Failing the weight and hydration test really brought me down."

Stay tuned to Sportskeeda MMA for all the latest news and updates surrounding Superlek Kiatmoo9's next fight.

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