“You can't deny that kid” - Denis Puric says fans shouldn’t be quick to shrug off Nabil Anane’s chances against Superlek

Superlek Kiatmoo9 barely broke a sweat the last time he shared the ring with Nabil Anane.

Despite the one-sided result of their initial encounter, Denis Puric believes it would be foolish for everyone to count Anane out.

Superlek, a two-division and two-sport world champion, will run it back with the new interim bantamweight Muay Thai world champion in the massive ONE 172: Takeru vs Rodtang spectacle on March 23.

The victor of this five-round slugfest will leave the historic Saitama Super Arena as the undisputed 145-pound Muay Thai kingpin.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda MMA, Puric raved about Anane's progression since losing his ONE debut to Superlek.

"He's been working hard. He's looking f***ing amazing. He just took out Nico Carillo in a couple of minutes. Come on, Bro, you can't deny that kid. He's so dangerous because he's so big like so long, you know. He's got long limbs, long f***ing reach."

Nabil Anane has indeed come a long way after his trial by fire against the Thai megastar back in 2023. The 20-year-old prodigy hasn't tasted defeat since, going on a sensational six-fight winning streak against elite competition.

The Team Mehdi Zatout standout ran through the likes of Felipe Lobo, Nakrob Fairtex, and most recently, Nico Carrillo to claim 26 pounds of gold.

Nabil Anane sees the silver lining in Superlek loss

The mighty Superlek is no doubt one of the feared men in 'The Art of Eight Limbs' but Nabil Anane courageously took him on in his first appearance on the grand stage.

While he didn't get his hand raised, the Algerian-Thai tower learned what it takes to succeed at the highest levels from that experience.

True enough, Anane became an absolute monster since then and even became the interim bantamweight Muay Thai world champion. He said during the ONE 172 press conference:

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

Visit watch.onefc.com for more details about ONE 172: Takeru vs Rodtang.