"I'm not the same anymore" - Nabil Anane hellbent on showing his evolution in revenge fight against Superlek Kiatmoo9 at ONE 172

It is safe to say that Nabil Anane will try to hit two birds with one stone when he runs it back at ONE 172 this Sunday, March 23.

Both men are penciled to duke it out in a ONE bantamweight Muay Thai world championship unification bout, happening live at the historic Saitama Super Arena in Japan.

Beyond his quest to become the division's undisputed king, the Thai-Algerian phenom is fueled by redemption, eager to avenge the most agonizing defeat of his career at the hands of Superlek.

This happened when the 6-foot-4 prodigy made his promotional debut against the reigning ONE flyweight kickboxing world champion in a 135-pound Muay Thai clash at ONE Friday Fights 22 in June 2023.

There, Anane learned the hard way that Superlek operates on an entirely different level, enduring a non-stop torrent of punishing leg kicks before crumbling to a body shot in the opening round.

It was a bitter pill to swallow for Anane in his maiden outing under the bright lights, but rather than letting it define him, he used it as a catalyst for a comeback story like no other.

From there, the Mehdi Zatout-mentored wunderkind turned his career around with six consecutive victories under the promotion's banner, capping off the impressive run with an upset win over Nico Carrillo to capture the ONE interim bantamweight Muay Thai world title this past January.

In an interview with ONE Championship, Anane expressed confidence that he will pose problems in the rematch against Superlek:

"In this fight, I'll prove that I'm not same anymore."

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Nabil Anane enters ONE 172 as an underdog

Despite Nabil Anane's growth as a striker, many believe that Superlek Kiatmoo9 will still dictate the outcome at ONE 172.

A recent online poll revealed that 71 percent of fans expect Superlek to emerge victorious once again

However, Anane is determined to defy the odds:

"This fight is not going to be the same as the other fight. That was my first fight in ONE Championship. Ever since I lost against him, all the fights after, I've tried to prove myself."