“Didn’t do anything to surprise me” - Superlek knew what to expect from towering Nabil Anane in their first encounter

Reigning ONE bantamweight Muay Thai and flyweight kickboxing world champion 'The Kicking Machine' Superlek Kiatmoo9 of Thailand was the only man to step up to the plate to face six-foot-four-inch tall phenom Nabil Anane when the Algerian-Thai star joined ONE Championship two years ago.

Prior to that, no one wanted to risk facing the freakish flyweight hopeful. But Superlek didn't care, and he took on the challenge full force.

Speaking to ONE Championship in a recent interview, Superlek looked back on that fight and said he was hardly surprised with Anane's game.

'The Kicking Machine' told the world's largest martial arts organization:

"In that fight, I was satisfied with my performance. Nabil didn’t do anything to surprise me. He fought with the advantage of his longer reach, which was what I expected."

Superlek added:

"Personally, I never feel pressured in every fight. Just ask Nabil if he feels pressure or not."

Superlek took home the first-round knockout victory at ONE Friday Fights 22 in June of 2023, in what was Anane's highly anticipated promotional debut. Now, the two are ready to run it back for the undisputed gold.

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Superlek Kiatmoo9 and Nabil Anane are ready to unify bantamweight Muay Thai gold at ONE 172 in Japan

Bantamweight Muay Thai king 'The Kicking Machine' Superlek Kiatmoo9 and interim titleholder Nabil Anane are ready to unify the ONE bantamweight Muay Thai world title.

The two lock horns in a five-rounder at ONE 172: Takeru vs. Rodtang, which is set to broadcast live from the iconic Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan, this Sunday, March 23.

Fans in the United States and Canada can catch all the action live via global pay-per-view by visiting watch.onefc.com.

Stay tuned to Sportskeeda MMA for all the latest news and updates surrounding the event as it happens.