Superlek was originally scheduled to square off against Nabil Anane at ONE 172 in a five-round bout to unify their Muay Thai titles, with Superlek holding the bantamweight world championship and Anane holding the interim title. However, just a day and a half before the fight, unforeseen circumstances changed the course of events. Superlek was unable to meet the hydration requirements, which led to him being stripped of his championship belt.
In an unexpected twist, what was supposed to be an intense five-round battle for the title was reduced to a three-round catchweight contest, leaving many fans scratching their heads. This decision came without much explanation initially, creating a flurry of speculation similar to past events where fighters—like Smilla Sundell—missed weight but the title bout proceeded with only one fighter eligible to win.
At the post-fight press conference, ONE CEO Chatri Sityodtong shed some light on the situation. According to Sityodtong, Superlek didn’t want to engage in a five-round fight with Anane, a revelation that necessitated a quick pivot from the organization’s officials to secure the match. They ultimately decided to shorten the bout to three rounds and remove the title implications entirely.
“Superlek actually said he didn’t want to fight, so our team had to figure out a way,” Sityodtong disclosed. He further explained that if the contest was changed to three rounds, Superlek would accept – a compromise they had to reach to keep Anane from missing out on the fight altogether. Looking forward, Sityodtong expressed that the logical next step would be to stage a proper five-round title fight between the two.
While Anane emerged victorious by unanimous decision, the win was bittersweet. He had successfully avenged his previous loss against Superlek, but didn’t walk away with the undisputed title as he had hoped. The disappointment was palpable for the 6’4″ fighter.
Reflecting on the outcome, Anane commented, “Winning against Superlek means a lot to me, because this was my dream and my first goal, and I have achieved it. I feel bad it wasn’t a match with a title, but what can I do?” His sacrifice and relentless training regime paid off in part, but the absence of the title win lingered as a sore point.
During training, Anane balanced intense preparation with the challenges of observing Ramadan, rising at 5 p.m. each day and training late at night while fasting. The dedication was tough yet rewarding. “It was very difficult to adapt my schedule, but I sacrificed a lot for this victory over Superlek,” Anane shared. With the ever-present guidance of his coach Mehdi Zatout and his team, Anane managed to execute their game plan successfully.
Despite not leaving Japan with the championship, Anane’s victory set the stage for future endeavors, leaving both fighters and fans eagerly awaiting the next chapter in this thrilling rivalry.
