ONE World Champion Nabil Anane Aims for Double-Champ Status Before Facing Former King Ilias Ennahachi

The bantamweight kickboxing division will witness a fascinating crossover when ONE Bantamweight Muay Thai World Champion Nabil Anane steps into unfamiliar territory against former ONE Flyweight Kickboxing World Champion Ilias Ennahachi on Friday, 26 September in Bangkok, Thailand.

For the 29-year-old Moroccan-Dutch veteran, this bout at ONE Friday Fights 126 represents an opportunity to prove his credentials against one of striking's most promising young talents.

Ennahachi brings a perfect 5-0 ONE record to this encounter, including a notable victory over Superlek Kiatmoo9 that adds extra intrigue to the matchup. The former flyweight king faces the challenge of adapting his style against a naturally larger opponent in Anane.

The 21-year-old Algerian-Thai recognizes the threat posed by his experienced opponent's kickboxing pedigree.

"When they offered me my first kickboxing fight against former Flyweight Champion Ilias Ennahachi, I knew he was a great fighter. He's also beaten Superlek before. This won't be an easy fight for sure," Anane acknowledged.

Anane's journey to this crossover bout has been remarkable since his debut knockout loss to Superlek.

The Team Mehdi Zatout representative transformed that early setback into motivation, winning five straight fights to earn his interim title shot against Nico Carrillo. His shocking first-round victory over Carrillo elevated him to interim champion status before being promoted to undisputed king this June.

Now venturing into kickboxing, Anane has studied his opponent's tendencies carefully.

"A weakness I see in Ilias Ennahachi is that he starts strong but fades in the later rounds. He doesn't have the same power at the end as he does in the beginning," the champion observed.

Anane sees victory as a pathway toward Jonathan Haggerty's bantamweight kickboxing throne.

"If I beat Ilias, it'll bring me even closer to my dream, and the doors to a title shot will open up," he said. "I've been adapting for sure. I change my style for every single fight. This kickboxing fight will be no different."