"That loss is an important lesson" - Nabil Anane says defeat to Superlek in ONE debut motivates him in rematch

Before wreaking havoc in the bantamweight Muay Thai division, Algerian-Thai phenom Nabil Anane kicked off his promotional campaign on a sour note.

The Team Mehdi Zatout star suffered an opening round defeat to 'The Kicking Machine' Superlek Kiatmoo9 in their flyweight Muay Thai tussle at ONE Friday Fights 22 in June 2023.

The reigning two-division, two-sport world champion crumbled the towering athlete with heavy leg kicks before a piercing body shot got the job done at 2:03 of the contest.

Anane, however, has been in pristine form since. He's racked up six consecutive wins, including a stunning upset of Nico Carrillo at ONE 170 this past January to claim the ONE interim bantamweight Muay Thai world title.

Simultaneously, his US$50,000 performance bonus-winning display inside Bangkok's Lumpinee Stadium meant that he would have another chance to avenge his sole defeat in the organization against bantamweight Muay Thai and flyweight kickboxing king Superlek at ONE 172 on March 23.

Ahead of their unification matchup, Anane shared how his earlier defeat to the striking wizard played a crucial role in taking his career to new heights.

Nabil Anane had this to say at the official ONE 172 Press Conference last week:

"That loss was an important lesson to me. It motivated me to work hard and develop myself to be a better fighter."

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Nabil Anane-Superlek one of four world title fights inside the Saitama Super Arena

Besides the Nabil Anane and Superlek sequel, which has fight of the night written all over it, ONE 172 sees three more ties for 26 pounds of gold.

Adriano Moraes and Yuya Wakamatsu run it back for the vacant ONE flyweight MMA world championship, while Jonathan Di Bella and Sam-A Gaiyanghadao collide for the ONE interim strawweight kickboxing crown.

In the co-main event, Tawanchai PK Saenchai seeks two-sport glory when he takes on Masaaki Noiri for the ONE interim featherweight kickboxing world title.

Last but not least, Takeru Segawa and Rodtang Jitmuangnon finally cross paths. The striking icons meet in a five-round flyweight kickboxing tiff in the main event.

Head over to watch.onefc.com to find out how you can watch ONE 172. Tickets for the card can be purchased here.