“I feel much stronger” - Former flyweight kickboxing king Ilias Ennahachi feels right at home at bantamweight
Former ONE flyweight kickboxing world champion Ilias Ennahachi of Morocco and The Netherlands is thriving in his new weight class since deciding to move up a division.
Ennahachi says he has more speed, explosiveness, and power as a bantamweight, and has proven as much in two massive victories. His latest victory was an impressive unanimous decision over former bantamweight kickboxing king Hiroki Akimoto last weekend.
Ennahachi locked horns with Akimoto at ONE Friday Fights 81: Superbon vs. Nattawut at Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok on Sept. 27. The S&B Gym representative knocked Akimoto down early to jump ahead on the judges' scorecards before navigating his way to a points victory.
Speaking to the media at the official ONE Friday Fights 81 post-event interviews, Akimoto shared his thoughts on his performance, and why he's excited for the future of his career in ONE Championship.
The 28-year-old said:
"I feel very strong, I make more pressure. Now I have the condition to fight because I don’t focus on my weight for the flyweight, I can now focus on the fights as a bantamweight. I can focus on my fights, so I can make good fights."
Ennahachi added:
"What I said, I feel much stronger, you know, and a lot of flyweight fighters, they move up to bantamweight, more fights for me and more good fighters to fight."
Needless to say, the future is looking bright for the Dutch-Moroccan following his latest performance.
What's next for Ilias Ennahachi in ONE Championship?
Former flyweight kickboxing king Ilias Ennahachi is on cloud nine after his big victory over Hiroki Akimoto at ONE Friday Fights 81. The 28-year-old says he is coming for the gold.
Ennahachi has expressed his interest in challenging reigning ONE bantamweight kickboxing world champion 'The General' Jonathan Haggerty for his gold. That's certainly a matchup fans would love to see take place in the world's largest martial arts organization.
Stay tuned to Sportskeeda MMA for all the latest news and updates surrounding Ilias Ennahachi's next fight.