‘Let’s Make History’ – Yonis Anane Ready For Massive Showdown Against Freddie Haggerty At The Inner Circle
Youngest-ever WBC Muay Thai World Champion Yonis Anane believes lessons from the first setback of his ONE Championship career will help transform him into a smarter and more dangerous fighter when he returns against Freddie Haggerty at The Inner Circle on Friday, May 22.
The strawweight Muay Thai matchup pits two of the sport’s brightest young talents against each other inside Bangkok’s Lumpinee Stadium and broadcasts live in Asia primetime for members at live.onefc.com.
The 18-year-old Anane arrived in the world’s largest martial arts organization with immense hype and immediately made an impact with three consecutive victories. But at ONE Friday Fights 147 in March 2026, the Team Mehdi Zatout representative dropped a hard-fought battle against Zhao Zhengdong in a thrilling firefight that featured knockdowns from both athletes.
The emotional circumstances surrounding the loss made the defeat even tougher. Earlier on the same night, his older brother and mentor, former ONE Bantamweight Muay Thai World Champion Nabil Anane, lost his belt – something Yonis admits affected him deeply going into the fight.
Reflecting on the loss, Anane said:
“I made 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.”
Now holding a 48-9 professional record, Anane believes the difficult experience will ultimately help him mature both mentally and technically as his career continues to rise.
Standing across from him at The Inner Circle will be another hungry young contender attempting to re-establish momentum.
The 21-year-old Brit, who is also the younger brother of reigning ONE Bantamweight Kickboxing World Champion Jonathan “The General” Haggerty, enters the matchup with his own 3-1 ONE Championship slate after suffering the first setback of his promotional career in a recent outing.
The British striker has already promised an explosive performance against Anane, but the French-Thai phenom welcomes the challenge.
Anane offered:
“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.”
Despite the respect he has for the explosive striker, confidence remains extremely high inside Team Mehdi Zatout.
Anane believes his movement, timing, and overall skill set will allow him to deliver a statement performance in Bangkok.
He said:
“I have to be careful with his punches. I need to control the distance and timing. But for me, I’m better than him in everything. If I see the knockout opportunity, I will take it. But we have to see in the ring.
“I think my last opponent was stronger than him in the clinch. See you in the ring. Let’s make history.”
Zatout Believes Anane Is Entering A New Stage Of His Career
For renowned coach Mehdi Zatout, Yonis Anane’s recent loss revealed more about the teenager’s potential than his limitations.
The veteran coach believes the emotional pressure surrounding the event, combined with Ramadan, school exams, and an exhausting schedule, created one of the most difficult periods of the young striker’s life.
Even then, Zatout saw valuable growth through the adversity.
He offered:
“He got caught in the first round, he got knocked down in the first round, but he came back very well. It was a very good fight.
“I told him to stay smart in the last round, but he got excited. Also, after Nabil’s loss, his emotions were very high. Yonis is still young, so emotions can affect him more. Clever fighters need to stay calm.”
Zatout also revealed that this is the first full fight camp where Anane has been able to focus entirely on training without balancing school responsibilities at the same time.
According to the celebrated coach, that difference alone could rapidly accelerate the teenager’s development.
Zatout added:
“This is actually the first preparation where Yonis is no longer in school. Before, it was very difficult because he trained before school, stayed at school all day, then came back to the gym for training again. He didn’t have enough rest.
“During his last fight camp, it was Ramadan and he also had school exams.”
Already known for his slick muay femur foundation, Anane has recently spent significant time sharpening the boxing, movement, and footwork needed to compete against elite international strikers like Haggerty.
Zatout believes fans are about to see a much more complete version of the teenage sensation.
He concluded:
“When he started fighting in stadiums, he focused more on clinching and knees, but now we’re working a lot on his boxing skills and footwork.
“Muay femur fighters need movement and intelligence.”
