“It’s good that I’ve learned that early” - Nabil Anane insists losing to Superlek was a blessing in disguise

ONE interim bantamweight Muay Thai world champion Nabil Anane believes his defeat to Superlek Kiatmoo9 two years ago only made him a better fighter. Anane first met the two-division, two-sport king in June 2023 at ONE Friday Fights 22.

In that fight, the Team Mehdi Zatout representative lost via first-round knockout in his ONE Championship debut. Speaking to Fightlore in a recent guest appearance, Anane talked about his first fight with Superlek and what he learned from the experience.

The 20-year-old said:

"It’s good that I’ve learned that early. So when you learn something early, you can overcome it quicker than if you learn it later on. If I didn’t have that lesson, maybe I wouldn’t have what I have today. That was a great lesson."

Nabil Anane is set to unify the ONE bantamweight Muay Thai world title with reigning king 'The Kicking Machine' Superlek Kiatmoo9 of Thailand. The two face off in a five-round world title unification war at ONE 172: Takeru vs. Rodtang.

The event broadcasts live from the iconic Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan on Sunday, March 23.

Fans in the United States and Canada can catch all the action live via global pay-per-view on watch.onefc.com.

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Nabil Anane getting used to performing under the bright lights of ONE Championship: "I’m quite used to it"

Nabil Anane is thriving on the global stage of ONE Championship and has already won six straight over top-flight opposition. But he heads to the ring this weekend against the toughest of them all, Superlek Kiatmoo9.

Anane told SCMP MMA about the pressure of fighting Superlek again:

"It’s quite normal, you know? Every time it’s a big fight, but now I’m quite used to it."

Stay tuned to Sportskeeda MMA for all the latest news and updates surrounding the Nabil Anane vs Superlek fight as it happens.