ONE Friday Fights 109: Yuki Yoza gives towering phenom Nabil Anane his flowers for stunning win over Superlek: "Nabil is getting much better"

In the eyes of former K-1 champion Yuki Yoza, reigning ONE interim bantamweight Muay Thai world champion Nabil Anane has caught up with former divisional king Superlek Kiatmoo9, and their previous match at ONE 172 last March 23 was great evidence of it.

Anane unanimously defeated Superlek in their non-title fight inside the Saitama Super Arena and handed him his first-ever knockdown in ONE Championship.

Yoza stated this during his recent interview with the South China Morning Post:

"Superlek at the Japan event [ONE 172] wasn't the usual Superlek. It wasn't that Superlek is starting to get worse [in terms of performance], but it's more like Nabil is getting much better."

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The Japanese striking superstar will make his highly anticipated debut under the world's largest martial arts organization on May 23 against Elbrus Osmanov in a bantamweight kickboxing scrap as part of the ONE Friday Fights 109 card inside the Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, hoping to make a splash in his arrival.

Yuki Yoza expects a tough match against Elbrus Osmanov at ONE Friday Fights 109

With both looking to secure a six-figure contract on May 23, the Team Vasileus representative expects a tough battle with the Russian contender at ONE Friday Fights 109.

According to the 27-year-old striking menace, he is preparing to face the best version of the Akhmat Kickboxing and Team Mehdi Zatout representative because he knows he's also gunning for the coveted spot in the promotion's main roster.

Yuki Yoza told the South China Morning Post in a recent interview:

"Osmanov is, of course, on a winning streak. I know for sure he's aiming for the ONE contract, and he knows he's facing me, so I expect him to come in at 100 percent in this fight."

Watch Yuki Yoza's interview here:

Fans can watch all the action at ONE Friday Fights 109 on ONE Championship's YouTube channel, ONE Super App, and at watch.onefc.com.

About the author

Anatoly is an MMA writer with six years of experience. He covers ONE Championship at Sportskeeda, where he has contributed over 1000 pieces. He previously served as the lead MMA writer for BetMGM’s blog.

Anatoly holds a bachelor's degree in communication, which he feels has had a significant impact on his career.

Jon Jones’ submission win over Lyoto Machida at UFC 140 in 2011 got him hooked to MMA. His favorite fighters include Eduard Folayang, Demetrious Johnson, Georges St-Pierre, Anderson Silva, and Khabib Nurmagomedov.

Anatoly provides Sportskeeda with exclusive pieces and has previously interviewed the former ONE flyweight MMA world champion, Adriano Moraes. While writing his pieces, he follows an extensive research process, referring only to credible sources like the UFC’s official website, Sherdog, and ESPN. He also likes to provide insights to his readers by keeping in mind important pillars of communication like media literacy and audience dynamics.

Anatoly advocates for a healthy and fit lifestyle by including boxing in his routine. He also loves to travel.

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Edited by Harvey Leonard