"I am still going to beat him" - Ilias Ennahachi confident he'll defeat two-sport, two-weight king Superlek if they meet again

Ilias Ennahachi acknowledges the gigantic strides that Superlek Kiatmoo9 has made over the years. Still, the former flyweight kickboxing world champion is quite confident that he'd still get the upper hand if their paths cross again inside the Circle.

Superlek rose to two-sport and two-weight supremacy at ONE 168: Denver earlier this month by dethroning former bantamweight Muay Thai kingpin Jonathan Haggerty in brutal fashion.

Overall, 'The Kicking Machine' has a marvelous 15-1 record in ONE, with his lone blemish coming at the hands of Ennahachi.

The Morrocan striker successfully defended his belt against the Thai destroyer at ONE: Fists of Fury back in 2021.

With Ennahachi moving up to the 145-pound division, he expects to see his old rival somewhere down the line. If that's the case, he's confident about getting his hand raised for the second time.

The S&B Gym standout said in an interview with the South China Morning Post:

"So he’s gotten better, 100% because when you win, you (level up). But I am still going to beat him, 100%."

Ilias Ennahachi could certainly make a case to challenge Superlek if he can dispose of another former fellow champion this coming Friday. He'll take on Hiroki Akimoto at ONE Friday Fights 81: Superbon vs Nattawut on Sept. 27 at Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.

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Ilias Ennahachi can't afford to underestimate Hiroki Akimoto

Hiroki Akimoto has dropped his last two bouts in ONE Championship. However, as far as Ilias Ennahachi is concerned, this makes the Japanese star even more dangerous.

Ennahachi told SCMP MMA:

"He is a good fighter. I respect him and don't underestimate him. I don't like to trash talk, so we'll see on that day how it's going to end."

ONE Friday Fights 81 will air live in Asian primetime via watch.onefc.com.

Watch the full SCMP MMA interview: