“He'll run out of opponents in a couple of years” - Petchtanong sees a bright future for ONE Fight Night 26 foe Nabil Anane
Even Petchtanong Petchfergus believes Nabil Anane's hype train is real.
The former bantamweight kickboxing world champion will welcome the Thai-Algerian star to the 145-pound kickboxing division on Dec. 6 at ONE Fight Night 26: Lee vs Rasulov on Prime Video.
Ahead of their three-round battle at Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand this Friday, Petchtanong sang praises for the towering terror, who has won five straight bouts.
As far as the Thai veteran is concerned, he wouldn't be surprised if Anane clears out the division in the not-so-distant future. He told the Bangkok Post:
“He's got a pretty good right-handed punch, he's got good knees. He'll run out of opponents in a couple of years in ONE."
Despite Petchtanong's admiration for Anane's prodigious skills, he refuses to be a stepping stone for the young rising phenom.
The Team Mehdi Zatout representative's absurd height and length are indeed bothersome, even for a veteran of Petchtanong's caliber.
However, the 39-year-old battle-tested warrior has over 400 career fights to his name and is revered as one of the best tacticians in striking.
We'll find out soon enough if Petchtanong can put an end to Anane's hot streak at ONE Fight Night 26.
Prime Video subscribers in North America can watch the full event free live as it happens in US Primetime.
Nabil Anane confident he can hang with Petchtanong under kickboxing rules
Petchtanong has fought exclusively in kickboxing under the ONE banner and has certainly adjusted well under the ruleset.
Still, Nabil Anane seems unbothered entering his first kickboxing bout against the former 145-pound kickboxing king.
The 20-year-old stud believes he made the proper adjustments needed for his upcoming transition.
In fact, Anane thinks fighting in kickboxing is much easier compared to 'The Art of Eight Limbs'. He said in his own interview with The Bangkok Post:
"Personally, I like kickboxing. I feel like it’s easier than Muay Thai. It’s less intimidating, and it’s easier to control and make use of range."