The 21-year-old ONE bantamweight Muay Thai world champion remained undefeated in two notable disciplines throughout the year. He unified Muay Thai gold at bantamweight, avenged his only promotional loss to Superlek Kiatmoo9 and proved that his skills translate seamlessly to kickboxing against elite competition.
Anane opened his campaign by taking out Scottish destroyer Nico Carrillo in less than one round at ONE 170 in January. Three knockdowns later, he had interim gold and positioned himself for the fight that mattered most.
The rematch with Superlek came in March at ONE 172. Anane did a great job of dominating the pound-for-pound over three rounds, even dropping him with a head kick. The unanimous decision victory erased the painful first-round knockout of his promotional debut two years earlier.
“It was a blessing because I started really well and finished really well,” he said. “The best moments were the first two fights at the beginning of the year. They are indescribable because there was so much luck in those two fights.”
Nabil Anane proves the potential for two sports with kickboxing success
ONE Championship elevated Nabil Anane to undisputed champion status in June. The promotion came hours after his younger brother Yonis scored a victorious promotional debut at ONE Friday Fights 114. The timing made the moment even more special for the Team Mehdi Zatout product.
But Anane was not satisfied with one throne. He switched to kickboxing in September against former ONE Flyweight Kickboxing World Champion Ilias Ennahachi. The fight ended in a no contest after an accidental low blow, but Anane controlled the action and scored an early knockdown.
His kickboxing debut showed enough promise to earn another chance. Anane moved up to featherweight at ONE 173 in November to face multi-time K-1 champion Hiromi Wajima. He dominated the Japanese veteran with precision and elite distance management to secure a unanimous decision.
“I also proved that I can fight in kickboxing,” he said. “The first fight I fought against Ennahachi. The second fight I fought at 170 pounds, not even my division, featherweight, and I won against a K-1 champion.”
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