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Ilias Ennahachi is excited for his return to competition, as he's got his eyes on the ONE bantamweight world title in the striking division.
The former ONE flyweight kickboxing world champion had to vacate his belt in January 2023 after he could no longer meet the division's weight limit. After some time away from fighting, he will now work his way back to the top.
Ennahachi is slated to take on another former world champion in Japan's Hiroki Akimoto at ONE Friday Fights 81 on September 27.
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If he wins this high stake fight, the 28-year-old will have a huge chance to challenge the divisional ruler, Jonathan Haggerty, or even the latest bantamweight world champion Superlek Kiatmoo9.
In a recent interview with South China Morning Post, Ennahachi shared what he thinks of being in a new division:
"People criticized me for my fight against Superlek saying it wasn’t my best fight, but I won. Now, I want to show the people that I can win like this, but I can also fight by putting a lot of pressure and making crazy fights."
He added:
"The new belt will be really nice to have at home. I will put it up in my bedroom."
Watch the full entirety of Ilias Ennahachi's interview below:
Ilias Ennahachi believes he's greatly improved after facing Superlek
Ilias Ennahachi has been working on his skills behind close doors, and he wants to show the results as he returns to competition at ONE Friday Fights 81.
Previously, Ennahachi defended his ONE flyweight kickboxing belt from Superlek Kiatmoo9 but had to vacate his strap when he could not meet his weight limit.
After moving up to bantamweight, the S&B Gym representative's divisional debut is scheduled against former ONE world champion in Hiroki Akimoto. Nonetheless, he believes that he would still be able to beat Superlek at any time.
His bold statement came out in the same interview with South China Morning Post:
"He’s gotten better, 100% because when you win, you [level up]. But I am still going to beat him, 100%."
Don't miss Ilias Ennahachi's return to ONE Championship when he faces Hiroki Akimoto at ONE Friday Fights 81 pay-per-view card, available to all fans via watch.onefc.com.
