Followers of ONE Championship’s Friday Fights at Lumpinee Stadium will likely be conversant in the identify Nabil Anane. Standing at 192 cm, the Thai-Algerian isn’t solely one of many tallest fighters within the ONE area however an enormous who towers over the bantamweight division with a two-meter attain, making his jab longer than most fighters’ teeps.
Nabil has gained his final 5 fights at Lumpinee Stadium, climbing the ONE Bantamweight Muay Thai rankings to assert the #4 spot after a unanimous choice victory over Burmese Lethwei Champion Soe Lin Oo.
Within the following sections, we’ll discover the profession and preventing fashion of this younger powerhouse who’s quickly rising by the worldwide Muay Thai ranks. We’ll delve into his accomplishments, chart his journey by the ONE Championship roster, and analyze how he has utilized his dimension and struggle IQ to safe victories in opposition to among the greatest names within the promotion.
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Who Is Nabil Anane?
Born in Pattaya, Thailand, to a Thai mom and a French-Algerian father, Nabil started his martial arts journey on the age of seven, coaching in karate and taekwondo. By 11, he transitioned to Muay Thai and by no means seemed again.
Simply two years into his Muay Thai profession, at age 13, Nabil competed on the 2017 IFMA World Youth Championships in Bangkok, successful each spherical en path to a gold medal. A 12 months later, he joined the Venum Coaching Camp below the steering of star coach and former ONE fighter Mehdi Zatout—a transfer that catalyzed his profession.
From 2018 to 2020, Nabil remained undefeated on the Thai circuit, capturing wins at Rangsit, Superchamp, Rajadamnern, and Lumpinee Stadium. By the tip of 2021, he secured the WKN Intercontinental Featherweight Title. Lower than a 12 months later, he made historical past because the youngest-ever WBC World Muay Thai Champion, claiming the belt with a second-round KO victory by way of punches.
In 2022, Nabil moved as much as light-weight, the place he defeated Italian fighter Luca Falco with a devastating knee KO to seize his second WBC World Title. This efficiency caught the eye of ONE Championship, which signed the younger star and matched him in opposition to Superlek Kiatmoo9, the reigning ONE Featherweight Kickboxing and Bantamweight Muay Thai World Champion. Sadly, Nabil’s promotional debut led to a first-round loss because of a physique shot.
Nonetheless, this setback was short-lived. Since then, Nabil has amassed 5 straight wins in opposition to elite competitors, together with a KO victory over #4-ranked flyweight Nakrob Fairtex and a dominant unanimous choice in opposition to #5-ranked bantamweight Felipe Lobo. These victories have propelled him to #5 within the division, inserting him inside placing distance of a ONE Championship title shot.
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A Versatile Battle Type
With a top and attain that towers past any of his opponents, Nabil fights to his strengths utilising vary administration to dismantle his opponents each defensively from a distance and aggressively from inside the clinching vary. This makes him a dynamic fighter who continuously adjustments the tempo of a struggle, making it troublesome for his opponents to set a rhythm and impose their will upon him. Given the flexibility of his strategy, let’s summarize his defensive and aggressive types individually whereas highlighting the important thing strategies he prefers to make use of in every.
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Preventing From Vary
Early in his struggle’s Nabil likes to remain at vary, utilizing his two-metre attain to seek out his rhythm and timing from a comparatively secure vary. To do that, he makes use of evasive footwork at the side of a stiff lead jab to maintain his opponent at distance. Then, as they press ahead, he’ll usually fireplace off a switch-kick that makes use of completely each inch of his spectacular vary to attain and bully his opponents.
On this latest struggle you’ll discover within the first spherical that each time his opponent, Felipe Lobo steps ahead, Nabil retreats from vary and that it’s his foot that strikes Lobo with lots of his counter kicks. This ensures that, even whereas scoring, he stays in a defensible place the place he minimizes the danger of taking harm.
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Preventing In Shut Vary
Nabil avoids staying in mid-range, the place shorter opponents can exploit pace and agility. As a substitute, he shortly transitions from lengthy vary to shut vary utilizing his lead jab and energy cross to pressure opponents to cowl up. This creates openings for his signature knees and elbows.
Alternatively, if his opponent presses aggressively by his jab into midrange, Nabil will fireplace off a fast left knee that stabs proper into his opponent’s midsection earlier than they’ll unload upon him. Then he’ll both step again to proceed at lengthy vary or use the knee as a possibility to enter the clinch.
As soon as he’s in shut Nabil continues to make use of his towering stature to his benefit. He locks onto his opponents and fires extra huge knees to their our bodies, or elbows excessive of their guard. Clinching additionally ties up his opponent’s arms, holding him secure from wild and looping punches.
This was a key consider his victory over Kulabdam final Might. Watch the video above to see how Nabil makes use of his top to push Kulabdam’s head down within the clinch, creating area for the highly effective knees that finally completed the struggle.
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What’s Subsequent For Nabil Anane?Â
Nabil Anane is each figuratively and actually a towering presence within the ONE Bantamweight Muay Thai division. Along with his distinctive top, attain, and ability set, he has constantly confirmed his capability to outmaneuver opponents from vary and dominate them within the clinch.
Having already made historical past because the youngest-ever WBC Muay Thai World Champion, Nabil has rebounded impressively from his loss to Superlek, defeating high-ranked opponents and solidifying his place as one of many high contenders.
With a five-fight win streak and victories over among the division’s most seasoned fighters, it appears solely a matter of time earlier than Nabil earns his shot at a ONE Championship title. Whether or not preventing at vary or within the clinch, this younger star is a pressure to be reckoned with on the earth of Muay Thai.
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