‘It’s Not Difficult For Me’ – Ilias Ennahachi Not Worried About Nabil Anane’s Height At ONE Friday Fights 126

Former ONE Flyweight Kickboxing World Champion Ilias Ennahachi assures his fans that his next opponent’s towering stature will not be an issue when the two lock horns in the ONE Championship ring on Friday night.

The Moroccan-Dutch striker will welcome reigning ONE Bantamweight Muay Thai World Champion Nabil Anane to the sport of kickboxing when they meet in the main event of ONE Friday Fights 126, which goes down live in Asia primetime on Friday, September 26, from Bangkok, Thailand.

The S&B Gym representative has cut no corners in preparation for this high-stakes matchup, even enlisting the aid of a myriad of legendary Thai fighters at the renowned Superbon Training Camp.

Working under the same roof as reigning ONE Featherweight Kickboxing World Champion Superbon, and former ONE World Champions Nong-O Hama and Petchtanong Petchfergus, has sharpened Ennahachi’s already formidable striking arsenal. 

The 29-year-old shared:

“I’ve been training at Superbon’s gym. I have a very good relationship with him. He told me I was welcome and that they could help me, and they’ve helped me very, very well. I’m very happy to be training there.”

Ennahachi is currently riding a 12-fight winning streak heading into his next battle, with five of those wins coming against world-class opposition on the global stage of ONE.

He even once held the distinction of being the only fighter to defeat ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Champion ”The Kicking Machine” Superlek in the world’s largest martial arts organization over the last four years – that was until Anane himself handed the Thai icon his second loss at ONE 172 this past March.

Though confident, Ennahachi understands that he has to be at his absolute best in order to stop the Nabil Anane hype train and take care of business against the Team Mehdi Zatout star:

“You can talk about a game plan, but in the first second of the fight, everything can change. I know for myself that I can push very hard for my weight class.

“Ask Akimoto, Petchdam, Superlek, and even the Iranian fighter. For my weight division, I push very hard. We’ll see in the first few seconds of this fight.”

While he believes he can find holes in Anane’s ironclad defense, getting to the six-foot-four-inch tall Algerian-Thai phenom is a completely different story. In this regard, Ennahachi has his work cut out for him.

Anane has been an absolute nightmare for every opponent he has faced in ONE. The 21-year old has utilized his overwhelming size advantage to great effect, destroying opponents with his imposing stature. And he’ll have plenty of room to operate against the five-foot-ten Ennahachi.

It is certainly a tall task for Ennahachi, to say the least. But it won’t be anything new for the battle-tested veteran:

“It’s not difficult for me to fight someone taller than me. At S&B Gym, we have the best fighters in the world, and I’ve sparred with many guys who are taller and heavier than me, and I’ve dominated them. So, it’s not new for me.

“Yes, he’s the tallest guy I’m going to fight, but in the gym, he’s not the tallest. I’ve sparred with taller guys.”

Ennahachi Questions Anane’s Kickboxing Adaptability

While Nabil Anane has momentum on his side with seven consecutive wins in Muay Thai leading up to ONE Friday Fights 126, Ilias Ennahachi sees the kickboxing rule set presenting the seemingly unstoppable Thai with a host of unfamiliar challenges.

The former ONE Flyweight Kickboxing World Champion understands the nuances between the two martial arts disciplines better than most, having honed his kickboxing artillery over the past two decades.

He told onefc.com:

“It’s very difficult for a Muay Thai fighter to switch to kickboxing in just a couple of months. He loves to clinch and throw elbows. He also fights with a lot of shorter guys.

“In Muay Thai, there’s a lot of holding, elbows, and knees. But in kickboxing, it’s all about action. Holding, breaking, and action. That’s a very difficult transition for someone from Muay Thai.”

Ennahachi believes this transition could leave the ONE Bantamweight Muay Thai World Champion caught between two worlds. He expects Anane to be wary of his Muay Thai instincts while struggling to adapt to the distinct ebb and flow of kickboxing.

And as soon as he senses discomfort in his opponent, the Moroccan-Dutch warrior will advance with his trademark pressure to solve a puzzle many before him have been unable to.

The 29-year-old added:

“He likes to clinch when someone pressures him. And that is key. Because he is long, his knees are very easy to throw. So when you pressure him and he can’t hold, it’s very difficult for him.”