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Superlek will be back.
ONE 172 was a night that 'The Kicking Machine' would probably like to forget after seeing his 12-fight win streak snapped at the hands of reigning ONE interim bantamweight Muay Thai world champion Nabil Anane.
Not only that, but Superlek also suffered the indignity of losing his title on the scale after failing to make weight for the ONE bantamweight Muay Thai world title clash.
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But despite the series of setbacks, Superlek is confident that he'll return to his former glory and make it up to the fight fans who were left disappointed by his weigh-in gaffe and subsequent loss.
"I want to apologize to the fans I disappointed by losing this fight," Superlek told Yokkao. "But I promise I’ll be back in that ring stronger than before. And next time, I’ll show my true 100 percent."
Superlek has not yet booked a return to the Circle, but chances are, his next fight will be a trilogy bout with the man who beat him inside the iconic Saitama Super Arena.
Superlek is ready for another fight with Nabil Anane after coming up short in Japan
Superlek wasn't interested in going into detail about what went wrong at ONE 172, though he did offer a little bit of insight into his failed hydration test ahead of fight night.
"What do I have to say about the match? Nothing much," he continued. "As everyone saw, our preparation was off. The game plan didn’t work. The biggest issue was failing the hydration test."
Instead of focusing on the past, Superlek is clearly looking forward to the future. Namely, reclaiming the gold he lost on the scale.
"I found Nabil improved compared to before. He’s more physically developed, more resilient, and his striking is more diverse than it was before. That’s why I want to face him again. I want this rematch at all costs."
Hopefully, 'The Kicking Machine' will be better prepared if a threequel with the 20-year-old interim titleholder is in his immediate future.
If you missed any of the action, you can watch the full ONE 172: Takeru vs. Rodtang replay on demand via watch.onefc.com.
