Buakaw certain Superlek 'didn't look ready' for Nabil Anane sequel in Japan: "His body was quite bulky"
Even before Superlek Kiatmoo9 fought Nabil Anane at ONE 172 last March 23 inside the Saitama Super Arena in Japan, Buakaw said that the Thai superstar wasn't in his prime form.
From the moment Buakaw saw Superlek during the walkouts, he immediately spotted that he wasn't as ripped as before and claimed that it was an indication that the reigning ONE flyweight kickboxing world champion seems not ready to fight.
The legendary Thai icon mentioned this during his reaction video of the rematch between Superlek and Anane from his YouTube channel, where he explained:
"From my point of view, on fight night, Superlek didn't look ready as he normally is. His body was quite bulky, not fully lean. But I gave him encouragement and some advice."
Watch Buakaw's video here:
Buakaw's fear came into fruition after 'The Kicking Machine' absorbed a knockdown during the match and eventually suffered the unanimous decision loss, which ultimately halted his 11-fight win streak.
Furthermore, Superlek was stripped of the ONE bantamweight Muay Thai world title on the scales during the official weigh-ins after being over the weight limit and failing his hydration tests.
This performance by the Kiatmoo9 Gym-affiliated athlete was completely different than his previous outings, especially during the duration of his incredible win streak.
Buakaw thinks that no one could beat this current version of Nabil Anane
The Thai combat sports legend also mentioned during the same video on his YouTube video that he can't see anyone right now that could rival the Thai-Algerain phenom because of the current form that he has.
According to Buakaw, it would take an equally talented athlete with an elite fight IQ and power to rival Anane's unique combination of physique, unorthodox style, and aggressiveness, as he explained:
"To be honest, I don't see anyone taking him down. Maybe, someone strong, someone smart enough that can actually break through his defense."
Fans can rewatch all the action at ONE 172: Takeru vs. Rodtang via watch.onefc.com.