“I just stepped up” - Interim bantamweight Muay Thai champ Nabil Anane has no regrets about losing debut to Superlek

ONE interim bantamweight Muay Thai world champion Nabil Anane has come a long way from being just another rising star in the world's largest martial arts organization.

The Team Mehdi Zatout standout joined ONE Championship at ONE Friday Fights 22 in June 2023, losing via first-round knockout to two-division, two-sport king Superlek Kiatmoo9 in his promotional debut.

But since that fight, Anane has railed off six consecutive victories in epic fashion to capture a piece of the bantamweight Muay Thai throne. And now, the Algerian-Thai star is the interim king, waiting to unify the gold against Superlek himself.

Speaking to ONE Championship in a recent interview, Anane talked about that first encounter with Superlek two years ago, and how it changed him.

The 20-year-old said:

"I learned that I have a lot of things to learn. Even though I was not 100 percent ready, I just stepped up. I got up and just let go of the past and I’m ready to do it again in a second fight. I showed that I grew up. Even though in this second fight I am still the underdog. They think I would lose again in the same way."

Anane and Superlek throw down next weekend to determine the rightful ruler of the division.

Nabil Anane and Superlek Kiatmoo9 face off in world title unification showdown at ONE 172

Interim bantamweight Muay Thai titleholder Nabil Anane will attempt to unify the belt against divisional king Superlek Kiatmoo9 at ONE 172: Takeru vs. Rodtang on Sunday, March 23.

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

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