ONE 172: “Get even with him” - Nabil Anane says career-defining revenge win over Superlek was a dream come true

Back in 2023, a then 19-year-old Nabil Anane was fed to the wolves in the form of Superlek Kiatmoo9. It was his promotional debut - and it ended with a first-round knockout.

Fast forward to ONE 172, and the Anane who entered the Circle looked very different from the one back then.

Their ONE 172 match was originally booked as the ONE bantamweight kickboxing world title fight, but the stakes shifted when Superlek missed weight and therefore was stripped of his title on the scale. But Anane, who wanted the belt, also had a secondary objective. He wanted to run it back - and this time, he showed up ready.

His win didn't earn him a belt, but he went home satisfied nonetheless.

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"I'm happy, I'm very happy," he said in a recent interview with Nickynachat. "To be honest, it's another one of my dreams, to win and get even with him. Just getting even and to have the chance to fight him."

Watch the full interview below:

“Strike better with more power” - Nabil Anane pinpoints how he pulled one back vs Superlek at ONE 172

Nabil Anane's long limbs were his biggest disadvantage in childhood. They were easy targets for low kicks and hard to control at a young age. But now, honed by age and hard work, they’re what makes him a terrifying opponent to stand across.

And if you ask him what makes them and now so different, he says it's because he has gained better control and power in his limbs.

"Maybe one of the differences was that I was able to strike better with more power," he said. "Yeah, I would say that was the difference in this Superlek [rematch]. It wasn’t easy, but I did it."

Watch Nabil Anane and Superlek clash at ONE 172, available via replay on watch.onefc.com.

About the author

Charlene is a MMA writer with 5 years of experience writing content in various formats. She inadvertently fell into the rabbit hole of MMA after she (begrudgingly) joined her friend for a class and ended up enjoying it far beyond her expectations. She has a Bachelor's degree in Psychology and once dreamed of becoming a sports doctor before she found her true calling in writing.

She has ghostwritten for various health, fitness, and martial arts businesses. Despite the busyness of her day-to-day, she occasionally finds the time to practice Boxing and Muay Thai at home with her coach/husband and their many cats as their rapt audience.

She has organized a few local MMA events and aspires to establish her own little gym someday.

Outside of work, Charlene enjoys books, video games, and anime.

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Edited by Tejas Rathi