Yonis Anane Says Last Loss Made Him Smarter Ahead Of Freddie Haggerty Clash At The Inner Circle
Yonis Anane has thought carefully about what went wrong against Zhao Zhengdong in March. The conclusion he reached is not complicated, but it required honesty to arrive at.
The 18-year-old Team Mehdi Zatout striker faces Freddie Haggerty in strawweight Muay Thai at The Inner Circle on Friday, May 22, live in Asia primetime from Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand. He carries a 48-9 professional record into the bout and the memory of his first ONE Championship defeat, a knockdown-heavy firefight that slipped away in the final round.
The circumstances surrounding that night made the loss harder to carry than the scorecards alone would suggest. Nabil Anane lost the ONE Bantamweight Muay Thai World Title earlier on the same card, and the emotion of watching his older brother and mentor fall hit Yonis going into his own fight in ways he was not prepared to manage.
“I think I was fighting more with emotion than with my mind. That’s the reason,” Yonis said. “I made a mistake in the third round. My guard was low. That was the mistake.”
The work has also expanded beyond what Yonis arrived in ONE Championship already knowing. His muay femur foundation — technical, creative, built around timing and angles — is being broadened with specific boxing and footwork development designed for the kind of international striker Haggerty represents.
Haggerty, for his part, brings punching power and a style that draws direct comparisons to his older brother Jonathan. It’s a resemblance Yonis has already clocked and treated with appropriate respect.
“He’s a good fighter. His punches are powerful. His movement and style look similar to his brother. That’s why this fight is a challenge for me,” Yonis said. “I have to be careful with his punches. I need to control the distance and timing.”
The respect, however, ends there. Yonis arrived at this camp with a clear read on where the fight gets decided and an intention to take the finish if the moment presents itself.
“For me, I’m better than him in everything. If I see the knockout opportunity, I will take it,” he said. “I think my last opponent was stronger than him in the clinch. See you in the ring. Let’s make history.”
READ MORE: SENSHI 31: Gladiators Full Fight Card Set For 30th May
Recent posts
