ONE Fight Night 26 preview and predictions: Petchtanong vs. Nabil Anane

There's always a big fight feel whenever an established superstar gets to take on a rising phenom, and the ONE Fight Night 26 kickboxing duel between Petchtanong Petchfergus and Nabil Anane is no different.

Petchtanong is the savvy veteran who can still dominate at the highest level, while Anane is the confident up-and-comer ready to put his name into the upper fold of ONE Championship.

The 19-year age difference between the two isn't the only glaring difference between Anane and Petchtanong, as this matchup is filled with numbers that would excite any accountant.

Anane, 20, is a former two-division WBC Muay Thai world champion and holds an impressive record of 38-5.

Petchtanong, meanwhile, is a former ONE bantamweight kickboxing world champion with an astounding 359-56-1 professional record.

While Petchtanong holds the obvious experience advantage, the 6-foot-4 Anane has a ridiculous seven-inch edge in height.

Anane and Petchtanong's inter-generational match goes down at the historic Lumpinee Stadium on Dec. 6.

Before ONE Fight Night 26 goes down, Sportskeeda MMA's ONE Championship team gave their most unbiased opinion and analyses on the impending bantamweight kickboxing matchup.

ONE Fight Night 26 is available live and free to all Prime Video subscribers in the United States and Canada.

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James De Rozario: Petchtanong via decision

Nabil Anane’s height might seem like a big problem for most opponents, but not for one as experienced as Petchtanong.

I see the Superbon Training Camp athlete closing out his year with another solid performance as he aims to close in on another hopeful shot at 26 pounds of gold.

Like Superlek did when he handed Anane his sole loss under the ONE banner, Petchtanong will narrow the gap as soon as the bell reverberates inside the 'Mecca of Muay Thai'.

He typically opts between a kicking or punching-heavy game, and both will work perfectly fine to deliver a message early against the lankier man.

That said, I do not see him putting the young Thai-Algerian to sleep. Anane won't simply be a static target, he'd look to make life difficult when handling the traffic that comes his way.

Still, my money is on Petchtanong banking on his experience to get the better of the exchanges on his way to a decisive win on the judges' scorecards.

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Mike Murillo: Nabil Anane via decision

A generational fight for all intents, with the younger fighter Nabil Anane winning by udecision.

I’m going with Nabil because he has been on an impressive roll of late, winning five straight while showcasing his steadily improving and diverse skill set. And three of his victories came in a three-month stretch where he was at his technical best, mixing things up to overwhelm his opponents.

This is apart from the fact that he is towering at 6-foot-4, which he makes sure to put into full use each time he competes.

And I expect Nabil’s stellar showing to continue against Petchtanong at ONE Fight Night 26. This, notwithstanding that the former bantamweight kickboxing king is on a mission to regain lost ONE glory after being sidelined for nearly two years.

Petchtanong, however, will not go down without a fight, digging deep into his vast experience. He will take it hard on his 20-year-old opponent for their three-round match. While it is admirable, it may not be enough to earn him the win against Nabil in the end.

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Ted Razon: Petchtanong via decision

Nabil Anane and Petchtanong might just steal the show at ONE Fight Night 26.

The towering 20-year-old has been on a tear as of late and fans and pundits alike expect him to breeze through his kickboxing debut.

However, if there’s anyone capable of slowing down Anane, it’s the cerebral Petchtanong.

Anane’s height and length should once again play a factor early since he can set the tone with his jabs and hooks from long distance.

However, I expect Petchtanong to eventually find his rhythm and negate that size difference by chopping down Anane’s lower half.

Plus, Anane will be quite limited since elbows and clinching, which just happens to be his best weapons, are prohibited under this ruleset.

Petchtanong is as cerebral as they come and has displayed amazing fight IQ in over 400 career fights. I expect him to derail Anane’s hype train and come away with the decision win.

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Vince Richards: Petchtanong via decision

Nabil Anane may hold the physical advantage, but there's no telling what secret Petchtanong has up his sleeve at ONE Fight Night 26.

Petchtanong wouldn't have reached the pinnacle of his sport without extensive knowledge of the fight game, and I expect him to methodically unleash that wisdom against Anane on Friday.

Anane will look to establish his range from the opening bell, but I expect Petchtanong to make things difficult for the 6-foot-4 phenom with leg kicks and overall ring work.

Petchtanong is far too crafty to stay in front of Anane, and he'll look for angles to negate the Thai-Algerian star's obvious height and reach advantage.

This won't end in a knockout, although I expect Petchtanong to thoroughly establish his dominance throughout the three-round match for the decision win.