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Liam Harrison thinks if anyone deserved to beat Superlek, it was Nabil Anane.
The 6'4" Algerian-Thai sensation and current ONE interim bantamweight Muay Thai world champion extended his unbeaten streak to seven at ONE 172 in Japan, defeating 'The Kicking Machine' via unanimous decision.
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Originally, the bout was set to be a five-round title unification clash to determine an undisputed ONE bantamweight Muay Thai world champion. Unfortunately, Superlek failed to meet hydration requirements, resulting in him being stripped of his ONE bantamweight Muay Thai crown.
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Luckily, the fight moved forward, but was reduced to a three-round catchweight fight—much to the chagrin of Nabil Anane.
Speaking with Nick Atkin, Harrison was happy to see Anane be the one to finally defeat Superlek in the art of eight limbs, lauding how hard the 20-year-old interim champion works in the gym.
"Superlek’s my friend, obviously, he’s a former training partner and I was speaking to a few people and we are going to get together in a couple of months and do some more training together, but if anyone was going to beat him, I’m glad it was Nabil because he works hard and he deserves it, to be fair," Harrison said.
ONE CEO confirms five-round title fight between Nabil Anane and Superlek will be rescheduled
With the series between Nabil Anane and Superlek now tied 1-1, a trilogy fight is all but guaranteed to go down between the two.
Speaking at the ONE 172 post-fight press conference, ONE CEO Chatri Sityodtong confirmed that plans to rebook a five-round title bout between the two are a top priority.
"But look, they're gonna run it back," Sityodtong said. "And let's see five rounds. And, yeah, Nabil is a nightmare for any fighter. It doesn't matter who you are."
Are you excited to see Anane and Superlek close out their trilogy in 2025?
If you missed any of the action, you can watch the full ONE 172: Takeru vs. Rodtang replay on demand via watch.onefc.com.
