“No one wanted to fight him” - Chatri Sityodtong draws comparisons between phenom Nabil Anane and Muay Thai legend Dieselnoi

ONE Championship chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong was, like everyone else, in utter shock at the incredible result of the ONE interim bantamweight Muay Thai world title fight between Nico Carrillo and Nabil Anane.

The two warriors met in the Circle in Bangkok last weekend. While fans expected Carrillo to steamroll through Anane, take the interim gold, and set up a world title unification bout with the reigning king Superlek Kiatmoo9, the complete opposite transpired.

It was Anane who turned in the performance of a lifetime, putting an absolute beatdown on 'King of the North.' Anane scored three knockdowns in the very first round to take home the victory via technical knockout.

Addressing the media at the official ONE 170 press conference backstage, Sityodtong commented on Anane's explosive win.

He compared the youngster to some legends of the sport, saying:

"Nabil has an opportunity to go down as one of the greatest strikers of all time if he's able to focus. If you look at the history of Muay Thai, people can argue, you know, Samart Payakaroon, whatever it is, but definitely, Dieselnoi had the exact same body type as Nabil. He retired because no one wanted to fight him. He destroyed everybody."

ONE 170 was broadcast live from the Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand last Friday, Jan. 24. Fans in the United States and Canada can catch all the action via replay on-demand for free on watch.onefc.com.

Chatri Sityodtong stacks high praise on Nabil Anane: "The world is his oyster right now"

Nabil Anane's accomplishments last weekend at ONE 170 cannot be understated. Sityodtong believes that if Anane stays humble and continues to work hard, he will have a long and glorious career.

The ONE CEO said:

"So again, it depends on how he handles fame and money and success. Can he stay disciplined? He's only 20 years old, right? But the world is his oyster right now."