“He was 100 percent behind me” - Nabil Anane says his father’s support pushed him to Muay Thai greatness

Algerian-Thai fighter Nabil Anane has steadily been building his name in Muay Thai. He said he could not have done it without the support of his family, particularly his father, who has been very supportive of the career path he has chosen.

The ONE interim bantamweight Muay Thai world champion touched on it in an interview with ONE Championship, highlighting how his French father allowed him to find what he wanted to do and is now completely behind him.

Anane, 21, whose mother is a mix of Thai and French, said:

“He (father) let me do what I wanted. And I wanted to do Muay Thai. When I chose Muay Thai, he told me, ‘If you choose this, go 100 percent into it.’ I didn’t have any choice left because I chose this, so now I must focus on it. And he was 100 percent behind me.”

Nabil Anane got his ONE Championship campaign going in June 2023. He lost in his promotional debut but more than made up for it by winning his next seven matches. His last two victories were both over top-notch fighters, namely Scottish star striker Nico Carrillo and Thai superstar Superlek Kiatmoo9.

Anane beat 'King of the North' in January by TKO in the opening round to claim the interim bantamweight Muay Thai belt before defeating 'The Kicking Machine' in March by decision to avenge his lone loss in ONE Championship.

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Nabil Anane basks in defeating Superlek in his last fight

Nabil Anane was supposed to vie for the ONE bantamweight Muay Thai world title in a unification match against Superlek last time around. It, however, was rendered a non-title match after the Thai champion was stripped of the belt for missing weight and hydration in the official weigh-ins.

Despite that, the Team Mehdi Zatout standout went for the win big time, dominating Superlek in their three-round showdown in March at ONE 172 in Japan. The win solidified his standing as an emerging force in the bantamweight division just as he exacted payback for the loss he absorbed at the hands of Superlek in his ONE debut.

Following his win at ONE 172, Nabil Anane spoke about the significance of his win over Superlek, saying:

"Yes, winning [against] Superlek means a lot to me. It means very, very much to me, because this was my dream and my first goal, and I have achieved it."

With the ONE bantamweight Muay Thai world title vacant, interim champion Anane is looking to become the undisputed king in the division as soon as the opportunity presents itself.