“I want the world to remember my name” - Nabil Anane motivated to reach the very pinnacle of Muay Thai in ONE Championship
Budding 20-year-old superstar Nabil Anane hopes to make his mark in the art of eight limbs and go down as one of the best to ever do it.
The 6'4" sensation is off to a pretty good start, having gone 5-1 under the ONE Championship banner, including a five-fight win streak after coming up short in his promotional debut against reigning two-sport titleholder Superlek Kiatmoo9.
Anane returned to the legendary Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok on Friday for a clash with the Lethwei legend at ONE Friday Fights 81 and was dominant through the three-round affair. In the end, Anane earned a decisive unanimous decision victory, further establishing himself as one of the top five best bantamweight fighters in ONE's Muay Thai division.
Speaking with members of the media following the event, Anane believes he has what it takes to become one of the best fighters in all of ONE, but he knows that doing so will take time and considerable effort.
"You know, everyone wants to be the best. I also want to be the best, but I have a lot of time, so no rush. Just keep training hard. I want to be number one, and I want the world to remember my name. So it's the motivation that keeps me on this road."
Is Nabil Anane on a collision course with two-sport king Superlek?
Since his loss to 'The Kicking Machine' last year, Nabil Anane has earned wins over Nakrob Fairtex, Muangthai, Kulabdam, Felipe Lobo, and the aforementioned Soe Lin Oo.
Along the way, he's landed a pair of highlight-reel knockouts and has shown significant improvement in each performance.
Now sitting as the fourth-ranked contender in the bantamweight Muay Thai division, Anane could be marching toward a potential rematch with Superlek who recently captured the division's top prize with a stellar first-round KO against Jonathan Haggerty at ONE 168: Denver.
Do you think Anane's performance at ONE Friday Fights 81 earned him a shot at 26 pounds of ONE gold, or does the Algerian-Thai star need another win or two to get there?
If you missed any of the action, ONE Championship fans in the United States and Canada can watch the ONE Friday Fights 81 replay on demand via watch.onefc.com.