Nabil Anane looks to "rest a little bit", rules out quick turnaround: “I got plenty of time”
20-year-old six-foot bantamweight Muay Thai sensation Nabil Anane of Thailand put together a stunning performance last weekend, going the distance with third-ranked ONE bantamweight Muay Thai contender Felipe 'Demolition Man' Lobo and taking home a unanimous decision.
More importantly, the young Algerian-Thai fighter showed poise and maturity beyond his years.
Many have called for a world title shot for the youngster, but Anane believes it's just way too early for him to even think about going for the gold. The 20-year-old says he is content with hanging around the top five for a while, taking in more fight experience and getting better every time out.
Speaking to Sportskeeda MMA in an exclusive post-fight interview, Anane addressed what's next for him, and why he isn't rushing towards a shot at the gold.
The Algerian-Thai six-footer said when asked about a title shot:
"Yeah, maybe. But let's see. Let's see. I want to rest a little bit. Yeah, one of my dreams, for sure [is to become a champion]. But still, I got plenty of time. No rush."
Despite his rather one-sided dominance of the highly regarded Lobo, Anane isn't in a hurry to take on reigning ONE bantamweight Muay Thai and kickboxing world champion Jonathan 'The General' Haggerty.
Nabil Anane on his striking resemblance to One Piece protagonist: "I just look like him"
Fans can't help but notice the striking resemblance between ONE Championship Muay Thai sensation Nabil Anane and One Piece anime hero Monkey D. Luffy.
The 20-year-old loves to come out in a Monkey D. Luffy costume for his fights, and he recently discussed his similarities with the character in the ONE Fight Night 24 press conference.
He said:
"I just look like him. I got long arms and long legs. He's a robber. And, yeah, I just look like him. Here, below my eye. I got stitches before. I look like him. It's just a character. And also, I watch One Piece, but I haven't watched it for a long time. So I will be watching it again because I love One Piece."
ONE Fight Night 24: Brooks vs. Balart took place live from the historic Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand on Saturday, August 3. Fans in the United States and Canada can catch all the action via replay on-demand on Amazon Prime Video.