"I respect him and don't underestimate him" - Ilias Ennahachi holds ONE Friday Fight 81 opponent Hiroki Akimoto in high regard
Former ONE flyweight kickboxing king Ilias Ennahachi says he holds Hiroki Akimoto in high regard but knows better than to underestimate him.
The Dutch-Moroccan star is en route to his second bantamweight kickboxing bout on Sept. 27, to lock horns with former divisional world title-holder Hiroki Akimoto at ONE Friday Fights 81.
Ennahachi for his part, is coming into the foray with an unblemished ONE record of 4-0, while Akimoto is looking to bounce back onto the winning track after losing two in a row in the last two years.
Despite the slow rise back to world title contention, Akimoto continues to be a serious threat in the division, which means, Ennahachi will be ready for whatever comes ahead.
Speaking to the South China Morning Post about Akimoto this week, Ennahachi said:
"He is a good fighter. I respect him and don't underestimate him. I don't like to trash talk, so we'll see on that day how it's going to end."
Things have been looking very promising for Ennahachi since he vacated the flyweight throne in 2023 to join the bantamweight rankings. He's determined to become a ONE world champion again, but he has to pass through Akimoto to deserve a shot at a potential world title against current holder 'The General' Jonathan Haggerty.
ONE Friday Fights 81 will air live in Asian Primetime via PPV at watch.onefc.com.
"Ferocity, strength, and drive are made in Morocco" - Fans praise Ilias Ennahachi's ferocious striking power ahead of ONE Friday Fights 81 war
Ilias Ennahachi is indeed a mean-looking fighter when he's locked inside the ring. Justifiably so, since his opponents just want to take him out with each swing. But Ennahachi is a difficult striker to target.
The Dutch-Moroccan stalwart is one of the finest strikers in the world due to his ability to be evasive. Much like a boxer, he's conditioned to fight at an intensive pace without sapping his energy. Ennahachi's endurance, combined with his power and ferocious fighting style, make him an overwhelming striker to deal with.
In the next Instagram clip below, you'll witness how Ennahachi just doesn't go for the knockout, he steadily destroys every inch of your soul until you break down and call it quits.
One fan aptly described the 28-year-old star as follows:
"Ferocity, strength, and drive are made in Morocco."
Another fan added:
"Machine"