“It was something weird” - Nabil Anane says he didn’t know how to react after knocking out Nico Carrillo for interim gold in Bangkok

Nabil Anane had already won Muay Thai gold earlier in his career, but he never expected to be in utter disbelief when he finally won the big one.

The 6-foot-4 phenom captured the ONE interim bantamweight Muay Thai world title when he scored a stunning first-round knockout finish over Nico Carrillo at ONE 170 in January this year.

It was as shocking as any world title win, but Anane seemed the most surprised when he won the gold in Bangkok.

Nabil Anane said in an interview with ONE Championship:

"I saw everyone that was beside me. They were all happy when the bell rang. I was happy for three seconds, for five seconds. And then I stopped. And then I just, I don't know. It was a very real, weird feeling. And then I started to become normal again. You know, it was something weird, but it's not a bad feeling, you know?"

Anane, however, won't have much time to relish his career-defining win.

The 20-year-old now stakes his claim at undisputed gold when he takes on old tormentor and ONE bantamweight Muay Thai world champion Superlek Kiatmoo9 in a unification match at ONE 172: Takeru vs. Rodtang on Sunday at Saitama Super Arena.

Anane has been on an unstoppable tear in his ONE Championship run, with a 6-1 promotional record on the back of a six-fight winning streak.

That lone defeat on his record, though, came at the hands of Superlek.

Anane suffered a gut-wrenching first-round knockout to Superlek when he made his promotional debut in June 2023.

The towering striker now looks to exercise his demons as he attempts to capture his first piece of undisputed gold in ONE Championship.

ONE 172 is available live on pay-per-view at watch.onefc.com.

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Nabil Anane says he has grown exponentially since his defeat to Superlek

Nabil Anane warned Superlek that he's not the same fighter who lost in their first matchup in Bangkok.

In an interview with the South China Morning Post, Anane said he gained valuable experience in the six fights since his defeat and is ready to exact revenge on Superlek at ONE 172.

"Yeah, we have fought once, and now I got the chance to get revenge. It’s been only two years, I think, and I grew so much. I changed a lot."