"It'll definitely be better" - Nabil Anane says inevitable Superlek trilogy could be best of series
ONE interim bantamweight Muay Thai world champion Nabil Anane believes a third encounter with 'The Kicking Machine' Superlek Kiatmoo9 will eclipse their past two encounters.
Both men own one victory apiece in their rivalry, and it looks destined for the world's largest martial arts organization to lock them in for a trilogy.
Superlek sent the towering six-foot-four athlete to the shadow realm in the opening round of their ONE Friday Fights 22 clash on June 23. Meanwhile, Anane brilliantly pulled one back over the Kiatmoo9 Gym product in their redo at ONE 172.
The Thai-Algerian dropped the 29-year-old once and dominated him en route to a comfortable unanimous decision triumph – his seventh straight win in the ONE circle:
"I know if we fight again, it'll definitely be better than the last time. Anyway, we, as fighters, have to practice hard. And if I lose, it only means I have to train harder," Nabil Anane said during a laidback catch-up session with fellow ONE fighter Sinsamut Klinmee.
As he continues to polish his ever-improving arsenal, the 20-year-old could make life more difficult for Superlek in a rubber match. A win is far from certain, though.
But based on his ferocious exhibition inside the Saitama Super Arena last month, the Team Mehdi Zatout superstar has all the necessary weapons to take a lead in one of the sport's most compelling storylines in recent memory.
Watch the full interview here:
Buakaw warns fighters not to be fooled by Nabil Anane's sleeper build
Muay Thai and kickboxing icon Buakaw Banchamek dissected Nabil Anane's majestic outing at ONE 172.
Besides being impressed by his nine-minute display, the 42-year-old remains perplexed by how the youngster adds power to his lanky frame.
In a clip on his YouTube channel, Buakaw shared:
"Nabil...Man. Since that loss, he's been getting better with every fight, leveling up. Don't let his skinny legs fool you. Call him skinny or what, but every strike he throws...wow."
Fight fans can rewatch ONE 172 via replay at watch.onefc.com.