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Ilias Ennahachi is quite familiar with the old saying, "To be the best, you have to beat the best."
The Moroccan speedster did just that at ONE Friday Fights 81: Superbon vs Nattawut over the weekend when he bested former bantamweight kickboxing world champion Hiroki Akimoto in dominant fashion.
That said, Ennahachi believes the big victory puts him in prime position to face the 145-pound kickboxing division's kingpin, Jonathan Haggerty.
If given the opportunity, the 28-year-old believes he has the skills to put 'The General's reign to an abrupt end. Ennahachi told Nick Atkin in his post-event interview:
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"I feel great. I won the fight, I beat the fighter who is number 2 on the rankings, so that means I’m already ranked number two."
He added:
"I want to fight. I want to fight quickly. Whoever is next doesn’t matter. But I want the title because I’m number two, and who’s at the top, it’s Haggerty. So I think I need to take his title."
Judging by Ilias Ennahachi's dynamic performance against a tough adversary like Akimoto, he's indeed ready for the biggest dog in the division.
The S&B Gym affiliate dropped his Japanese foe with a pin-point left hook in round 1, and never let his foot off the gas to cruise to a clear unanimous decision victory.
The full replay of ONE Friday Fights 81 is available at watch.onefc.com for those who purchased the PPV.
Ilias Ennahachi is only scratching the surface of his full potential at bantamweight
Despite looking sensational against Akimoto, Ilias Ennahachi believes he hasn't yet unlocked his full potential. After all, he's still just settling in at his new weight class after fighting at 135 pounds for so long.
Still, the fact that he was able to retain his breakneck speed to go along with his newfound power, means he'll be a legitimate threat at bantamweight.
The former flyweight kickboxing world titleholder said in his post-fight interview:
"Every fight you can do better and better. The fights coming up, I’m gonna be better."
Watch Ilias Ennahachi's full interview:
