ONE 172: Nabil Anane confident he can handle the pressure against Superlek inside packed Saitama Super Arena

With a roaring crowd expected to pack the iconic Saitama Super Arena at ONE 172: Takeru vs Rodtang, interim ONE bantamweight Muay Thai world champion Nabil Anane says he'll stay cool since the crowd doesn't dictate the pressure.

Here's what Anane told ONE Championship:

"Impact Arena is a big arena too. And the pressure is not about how big the arena is. It's more about the fight that's going to happen."

With ONE 172 only just a week out, the countdown is on. On March 23, the 20-year-old champ will get his chance to redeem himself against Superlek Kiatmoo9 in a world title unification fight.

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"I'm totally different" - Nabil Anane warns Superlek that he has evolved since their first meeting

Nabil Anane swears that this time won't be a repeat of their first meeting at ONE Friday Fights 22. In 2023, the promotional debutant Anane had the misfortune to match up with veteran fighter Superlek Kiatmoo9 - and this resulted in a devastating first-round knockout.

"Two years ago, I didn't know nothing about small [4-ounce] gloves," The Thai-Algerian fighter admitted. "I didn't have this experience. I'm totally different [now]. Very different."

The Thai-Algerian fighter has since learned a lot, evolving into a highly technical striker. Currently on a six-fight win streak, he captured interim gold as the underdog with a first-round TKO against 'King of the North' Nico Carrillo.

"It was a big lesson, and I learned a lot in that fight. I'm sure that it's not going to be the same this time."

ONE 172: Takeru vs Rodtang features five title fights including Anane vs Superlek's unification bout. The star-studded event will take place in Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan on March 23. Tickets are available here. Fans in from all over the world can catch the action via PPV on watch.onefc.com.