"I want the new one" - Ilias Ennahachi says beating Hiroki Akimoto will prove he's worthy of bantamweight kickboxing gold

Ilias Ennahachi believes the ONE flyweight bantamweight kickboxing world title will make a great addition to his trophy cabinet. The Morrocan striker is no stranger to winning a title in the world's largest martial arts organization since he previously owned the flyweight kickboxing crown.

Then again, Ennahachi has set his sights on the massive bantamweight kickboxing gold made out of 26 pounds of gold. The 28-year-old slugger will get an opportunity to make an immediate impact in the stacked 145-pound division if he can take out former champion Hiroki Akimoto this Friday at ONE Friday Fights 81: Superbon vs Nattawut.

As far as Ennahachi is concerned, a statement victory over the Japanese superstar should catapult him to immediate contender status.

The S&B Gym affiliate said in a recent interview with the South China Morning Post:

"So I’m undefeated [in ONE]. Now, I want the bantamweight title. I want the new one. And after this, I hope they give me the title shot."

Ilias Ennahachi previously wreaked havoc in the flyweight ranks, including a victory over reigning two-sport and two-division world champion Superlek Kiatmoo9.

Despite fighting bigger opposition in a higher weight class, Ennahachi is supremely confident that he can extend his ONE slate to 5-0 at the expense of Akimoto.

ONE Friday Fights 81 will air live in Asian primetime on September 27 from Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand. Watch the full event via PPV at watch.onefc.com.

Ilias Ennahachi feels like a whole different fighter at bantamweight

After winning his bantamweight debut in style last year, Ilias Ennahachi understood that he should have been fighting at 145 pounds all along.

While the Moroccan speedster was still able to retain his incredible agility and reflexes at a higher weight class, the additional mass also meant he carried more power in his strikes. He told the South China Morning Post:

"That is what I want, I want to focus on my fight, and in flyweight, I focus only on my weight. In a better weight class, I feel much stronger, also stronger mentally, and that’s very very important."

Watch Ilias Ennahachi's full SCMP MMA interview: