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Reigning ONE bantamweight Muay Thai world champion Nabil Anane of Algeria and Thailand has sights on conquering kickboxing and joining the promotion’s prestigious group of two-sport world champions.
The 21-year-old phenom made a lasting statement at ONE 173 last November 16, where he dominated Hiromi Wajima via unanimous decision at Ariake Arena in Tokyo.
Anane was originally scheduled to defend his Muay Thai belt against Jonathan Haggerty, but agreed to a featherweight kickboxing bout with ‘Purple Comet’ instead after the Englishman got injured.
Anane used every inch of his towering 6-foot-4 frame to perfection, blasting Wajima with kicks from the outside.
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Despite his best efforts, the three-time K-1 Champion had no answer for Anane’s brilliance.
Speaking to the Bangkok Post’s Nick Atkin after the fight, Anane said this performance is a preview of things to come in his quest to become a kickboxing world champion.
The Team Mehdi Zatout prodigy shared:
"Yes, of course. It's my goal, you know, I want to be a champ in both sports. Muay Thai and kickboxing. So now we're on the way. It's a good beginning, a good start."
Meanwhile, Anane also called out Haggerty after his big win and made his case as the next rightful challenger for his bantamweight kickboxing gold.
Watch the interview in its entirety:
Nabil Anane says he'll only get better with each fight
Nabil Anane is already as fearsome as it comes, but admits he's not close to tapping his full potential just yet.
The 21-year-old admitted he's still getting acclimated to fighting at 155 pounds.
The reigning ONE bantamweight Muay Thai kingpin told Nick Atkin:
“I'll have more, even more experience, and it will be even harder for my opponents. If they wait for a long time, it will be harder for them, you know. So now I'm just starting. I'm in the beginning. If they don't want to lose, if they want to have more chances, it's now, man. If they let me have a lot of experience, that's hard for them. So that's what I want to say.”
