ONE Championship: Buakaw says Nabil Anane was in cruise control in ONE 172 sequel in Japan: "Superlek needed a miracle punch to win"

Buakaw says Nabil Anane was in cruise control in ONE 172 sequel in Japan: "Superlek needed a miracle punch to win"

Modified Apr 18, 2025 08:46 GMT

Buakaw (left) and Nabil Anane fighting Superlek (right) | Image credit: ONE Championship

Muay Thai and kickboxing icon Buakaw Banchamek uploaded a video reaction to the Muay Thai clash between Nabil Anane and Superlek Kiatmoo9 on March 23 as part of the stacked ONE 172 card inside Saitama Super Arena in Japan.

Buakaw uploaded it on his YouTube channel recently, and in the dying moments of the match, Buakaw stated that Anane was in full control of the match and Superlek needed to swing for the fences if he wanted to turn the tables and beat Anane, as he said:

"Nabil's just soaking everything up. He's collecting all the points with one minute left. At this point, Superlek needed a miracle punch to win."

Watch Buakaw's interview here:

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The ONE interim bantamweight Muay Thai world champion even scored a knockdown against 'The Kicking Machine' to set the tone and ultimately led him to the unanimous decision victory.

Buakaw floats the idea of a mega fight between high fight IQ fighters Nabil Anane and Jonathan Haggerty

Following this incredible performance by the 20-year-old Muay Thai phenom, Buakaw has suggested the ideal opponent for the Team Mehdi Zatout representative.

According to Buakaw, Nabil Anane's style will be a good matchup against reigning ONE bantamweight kickboxing world champion Jonathan Haggerty, and fans would witness a very technical showdown due to their elite fight intelligence.

Additionally, Buakaw said that if 'The General' would allow Anane to dictate the match with his long-range attacks, he would bag the win, as he explained during his recent YouTube video:

"Their styles are similar, but it's all going to come down to who has better fight IQ. We'll see what kind of techniques Haggerty brings. But if there's too much room for Nabil, Nabil's gonna probably win."

Fans can rewatch all the action at ONE 172: Takeru vs. Rodtang via 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 C. Naik