Chatri Sityodtong says Nabil Anane’s TKO of Nico Carrillo showed his true quality: “He could destroy almost everybody”

ONE Championship Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong has grown convinced that rising Algerian-Thai fighter Nabil Anane is the real deal after essaying an impressive first-round knockout victory last week to add his name to the promotion's roster of world champions.

The 20-year-old Team Mehdi Zatout standout claimed the ONE interim bantamweight Muay Thai world title at ONE 170 on Jan. 24 at the Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand, with a dominant showing over erstwhile streaking fighter Nico Carrillo of Scotland.

Nabil Anane set himself up for a spectacular finish when he landed a sweet one-two combination at the 1:23 mark of the opening canto that rocked and sent Carrillo to the mat. The 'King of the North' managed to beat the count only to find himself back on the canvas 30 seconds later after absorbing a solid head kick. The contest ended with 25 seconds to go in the first round after the towering Anane scored on a right hand for the third and final knockdown.

During the post-event press conference for ONE 170, Sityodtong spoke about the impressive win of Anane, highlighting how it was a testament of his true worth as a striker and how all-comers should take heed.

The ONE executive said:

"Nabil can kill anybody in any rule set when it comes to striking. It does not matter. It can be Kung Fu, it can be Taekwondo, it can be boxing, it can be karate. His skill set is just so deadly. His Muay Thai knowledge and what he brings to the table, any rule set in striking, he could destroy almost everybody you know."

Watch the press conference below:

Apart from claiming the ONE interim bantamweight Muay Thai world title, the victory at ONE 170 was the sixth straight for Nabil Anane after opening his ONE campaign with a loss. The KO victory also earned him a $50,000 performance bonus from Sityodtong.

The full replay of ONE 170 is available on watch.ONEFC.com.

Nabil Anane seeks to unify bantamweight Muay Thai belts against Superlek in March

Fresh from claiming the ONE interim bantamweight Muay Thai world title at ONE 170, Nabil Anane is now set to unify the division's championship belts when he takes on divisional king Superlek Kiatmoo9 in March.

ONE Championship recently added Superlek vs. Anane II to the marquee event ONE 172: Takeru vs. Rodtang on March 23 at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. Apart from a unification bout, it is also a rematch of their first encounter in June 2023, where 'The Kickboxing Machine' gave the 6-foot-4 Anane a rude welcome in his debut with a KO defeat in the first round.

Tickets for ONE 172: Takeru vs. Rodtang are now available for purchase on this link.