‘I’m Still One Of The Best’ – Nabil Anane Targets Statement Victory Against Yuki Yoza At ONE SAMURAI 4

Former ONE Bantamweight Muay Thai World Champion Nabil Anane returns to bantamweight kickboxing with something major to prove when he faces former World Title challenger Yuki Yoza at ONE SAMURAI 4 on Saturday, October 17, at the iconic Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan.

The 22-year-old Algerian-Thai striking prodigy has experienced a highly challenging stretch following his rapid, meteoric rise to the top of the mountain. However, his unshakeable confidence in himself and his versatile fighting style remains completely intact.

Nearly a year removed from his last kickboxing appearance, Anane now meets a dangerous, complex test in Yoza, whose relentless forward pressure and devastating kicking game present a very different kind of puzzle.

A victory in the Japanese capital would not only put Anane back in the win column, but it could also propel him right back toward another massive career goal: challenging for ONE kickboxing gold.

The 22-year-old told onefc.com:

“People might think that two losses affected me a lot, maybe mentally or in how I am. But I’ve moved on since the first fight.

“The second fight, I wasn’t really disappointed because it was a really good fight. I gave it all I had. It just wasn’t my day. I trained really, really hard. It’s just life. You have ups and downs.”

Rather than make desperate, wholesale changes, Anane firmly believes the answer is to stay completely true to the strategic approach that already took him to the highest level, while carefully eliminating the small errors that crept into his recent performances.

He has responded to adversity by training harder and meticulously focusing on the specific mistakes he made in those recent setbacks. For Anane, the ultimate goal is not to become an entirely different fighter, but to ensure the exact same errors do not happen again.

He said:

“Of course, I have to fight in my own way, my own style. It was just a small mistake, so it’s okay and I’m not even mad at it. The fight was fire. Next fight, I guess, will be fire also.”

That calm, composed outlook certainly does not mean Anane is ignoring the massive stakes at hand.

He knows another defeat would extend the most difficult run of his ONE Championship career, and he is absolutely determined to prevent that from happening against a dangerous foe like Yoza.

Anane said:

“He would have to run to catch me, and I’ll just win. I want the win because I don’t want to lose for a third time.”

Anane Sees Yoza Win As Route Toward Kickboxing Gold

ONE SAMURAI 4 will officially mark Nabil Anane’s first kickboxing appearance in nearly a year, and he has a crystal-clear objective for his highly anticipated return to the discipline.

A definitive victory over Yuki Yoza would carry significant weight. The Japanese superstar has already challenged for ONE World Title gold, and Anane believes beating him could catapult him closer to his own coveted opportunity at the belt.

The Algerian-Thai striker said:

“Now it’s been nearly a year that I haven’t fought in kickboxing. I just want to win, be in the rankings, and then fight for the title shot if I have a chance. I will take it.

“Since the beginning, whatever came to me, I’ve never refused anything. I’ve always taken whatever they proposed. Whatever they propose to me next, I’m ready, I’m down. But I want the title shot, of course.”

Anane expects Yoza to bring the overwhelming physical strength, aggressive pressure, and highly dangerous kicking game that have become the defining hallmarks of the Japanese standout’s style.

But the former Muay Thai king also firmly believes his own unique physical attributes can create massive problems. Towering at 6-foot-4, Anane owns a significant height and reach advantage, while his blinding speed and fluid movement give him dangerous tools beyond simply fighting from long range.

Most importantly, his recent string of results has done absolutely nothing to change how he views his rightful place among the bantamweight elite.

The Bangkok native concluded:

“I’m still close. I’m still one of the best, and one of the scariest, one of the fighters that people don’t want to fight. Still the same, and still hungry.”