Nabil Anane Trusts His Size But Knows His Road Back Runs Through Suakim
Standing six-foot-four in a division built on compact, explosive power, Nabil Anane has learned to see his own body as the biggest weapon in the fight.
The former ONE Bantamweight Muay Thai World Champion headlines The Inner Circle 25 against Suakim Pongsuphan PK in a World Title eliminator, streaming live in Asia primetime from Bangkok’s Lumpinee Stadium on Friday, August 7. The winner earns a shot at Rambolek Chor Ajalaboon, the man who dethroned Anane this past March.
Anane has been open about what that stake means to him, but he refuses to let it distract from the fighter directly in front of him.
“[Winning is] very important because Boss Chatri [Sityodtong] has already said that whoever wins will face Rambolek. It’s very important for me to go back and get what’s mine,” he said.
“But I don’t want to think too far ahead. I just want to focus on what’s right in front of me first. We have to win this first. Because if we slip up here, I might not have another chance.”
That focus matters against a fighter Anane rates as genuinely dangerous. Suakim arrives on a seven-fight winning streak, four of them highlight-reel finishes, and Anane knows underestimating him would be a costly mistake.
The Thai-Algerian standout has spent his career using his reach and speed to force opponents into uncomfortable angles, a puzzle few fighters across nearly 50 professional bouts have solved. He believes that same size advantage gives him the edge over Suakim, too.
“Because of my height, there are very few things my opponents can actually do to me. They are the ones who have to adjust their style to fight me because there are only a few ways to beat me,” he said.
Anane has not forgotten what happened the last time he stepped into Lumpinee with a title on the line, dropped twice en route to a decision loss to Rambolek. He is not treating this fight as a formality on the way back, and his words leave little room for doubt about how badly he wants this one.
“In this fight, either he goes down, or I do. One of us is definitely getting finished. I’ll give it my all, for sure.”
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