Youngest-ever WBC Muay Thai world champion Yonis Anane of France and Thailand is manifesting a career-defining win at The Inner Circle on Friday, May 22.
That night, he’ll lock horns with British striker Freddie Haggerty in strawweight Muay Thai action at Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok.
This is a pivotal match for the 18-year-old, who is returning from his first ONE Championship loss.
Anane saw his three-fight winning streak snapped by China’s Zhao Zhengdong at ONE Friday Fights 147 in March.
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The younger brother of Nabil Anane went back to the drawing board at Team Mehdi Zatout and sharpened the edges. Now, he is ready to reveal those improvements to the global audience.
Haggerty arrives as a dangerous, explosive striker who has promised a knockout performance.
But as far as Anane is concerned, he is the superior fighter in all areas of ‘The Art of Eight Limbs’.
“For me, I’m better than him in everything. My kicks are stronger too,” he told ONE in his pre-fight interview.
“We will see. If I see the knockout opportunity, I will take it. But we have to see in the ring. I don’t know if it will be a three-round war or a knockout. We’ll see. Inshallah.”
Yonis Anane reflects on the crucial mistake that cost him his last fight
Yonis Anane has been open about what went wrong against Zhao Zhengdong.
The 18-year-old admits he dropped his guard in the third round, and that split second changed the fight completely.
“About that fight, it was a mistake in the third round. My guard was low. That was the mistake. For me, I was winning, but then I got knocked down. I think I was fighting more with emotion than with my mind. That’s the reason,” he told ONE.
Fans can watch Yonis Anane live by purchasing The Inner Circle at live.onefc.com.
Edited by Aziel Karthak