“I want to show everyone” - Ilias Ennahachi eager to prove his worth once more in ONE Championship

Later this week, former ONE flyweight kickboxing world champion Ilias Ennahachi will make his return to action under the ONE Championship banner after 19 months on the sidelines. He hopes to reintroduce himself to fans and show them exactly who he is as a fighter.

The 28-year-old Moroccan-Dutch fighter will feature in a bantamweight kickboxing clash at ONE Friday Fights 81: Superbon vs. Nattawut on Sept. 27 at the Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, against former divisional king Hiroki Akimoto.

In line with his long-awaited return to ONE action, Ilias Ennahachi spoke to the South China Morning Post and described the mindset he has heading into the Akimoto fight. He also expressed his gratitude for the opportunity to face Akimoto.

He said:

"No problem. I'm going to fight for these credits again, and I appreciate that ONE Championship gave me the chance again and I appreciate [ONE Chairman and CEO] Chatri [Sityodtong] for giving me this opportunity again. I want to show everyone that this guy from Morocco deserves all these credits as well."

Watch the interview below:

Ilias Ennahachi was last in action in February last year, where he made his bantamweight kickboxing debut and knocked out Aliasghar Ghodratisaraskan of Iran. The win came just a month after he vacated the flyweight kickboxing gold for his inability to stay within the 135-pound limit while hydrated.

At ONE Friday Fights 81, he will take on Akimoto, who is raring to get back on the winning track after losing back-to-back matches.

Fans in North America can catch the action at ONE Friday Fights 81: Superbon vs. Nattawut via global pay-per-view through watch.onefc.com. For more information on it, visit the ONE Championship website.

Ilias Ennahachi says he has the speed advantage against Hiroki Akimoto

Ilias Ennahachi believes that he will be the faster fighter in his featured match against Hiroki Akimoto at ONE Friday Fights 81: Superbon vs. Nattawut on Sept. 27. It is something he is looking to capitalize on to make a winning return to ONE Championship competition.

In an interview with the South China Morning Post, he highlighted the speed he displayed at flyweight, and spoke on how it has translated well to bantamweight. He said:

"When you box with me, I can kick, when you kick, I can box. I'm too fast for these guys, even at bantamweight, I'm too fast. I move a lot, but I can also put pressure [on my opponents], so it's going to be a hard fight, but a great fight."

The Akimoto-Ennahachi match is part of the 10-fight offering ONE Friday Fights 81, which is headlined by the featherweight Muay Thai joust between Thai superstars Superbon and 'Smokin' Jo Nattawut.