“A bittersweet victory” - Nabil Anane remains steadfast in his quest for undisputed gold after stunning upset of Superlek

Nabil Anane is hellbent on securing undisputed gold one way or another.

The reigning ONE interim bantamweight Muay Thai world champion captured the biggest win of his career when he beat Superlek Kiatmoo9 via unanimous decision in their bantamweight Muay Thai matchup at ONE 172 at the hallowed Saitama Super Arena.

Taking to Instagram, Anane said his victory over Superlek was a bittersweet experience since he's yet to capture the division's undisputed strap.

Anane, however, knew the magnitude of his victory and he'll stop at nothing to eventually capture the undisputed ONE bantamweight Muay Thai world title.

"A BITTERSWEET VICTORY 💔💔💔 Felt bad that I wasn’t able to bring this gold back home to my family this time, even though I still got the victory and I made my family and my whole team proud. That’s the MAIN thing! I will still go after this gold because now, this is my second goal," posted Nabil Anane.

The 6-foot-4 phenom headed to ONE 172 with revenge on his mind since Superlek has been the only fighter to have beaten him in ONE Championship.

Riding a six-fight winning streak, Anane was determined to put the ONE flyweight kickboxing world champion in his place.

Anane was relentless in the fight and used his towering height advantage to snipe at Superlek from a distance, a display that wasn't seen in his ONE Championship debut against 'The Kicking Machine' in June 2023.

After putting Superlek under relentless pressure, Anane scored a massive knockdown when he landed a roundhouse kick against the backpedaling Superlek late in the first round.

Anane continued his pace in the second and third rounds, eventually earning the unanimous decision win for his seventh straight victory.

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Nabil Anane revels in shattering Superlek's aura of invincibility

Superlek Kiatmoo9's recent run of form put him on legendary status, but that aura was shattered when he faced Nabil Anane in Japan.

The Thai superstar was on an ungodly 11-fight winning streak and had wins over Rodtang Jitmuangnon, Takeur Segawa, Jonathan Haggerty, and Anane.

The Thai-Algerian phenom, however, was determined to avenge his defeat and capture the biggest win of his career at Superlek's expense.

In his in-ring interview with ONE Championship commentator Mitch Chilson, Anane relished at the moment of beating the man the modern day legends struggled against.

"This was my first dream to get the victory against the best man pound-for-pound in history, Superlek Kiatmoo9. And today, I just won against the best pound-for-pound in Muay Thai history."