‘I Have More Fire In Me’ – Nabil Anane Turns Heartbreak Into Motivation At The Inner Circle 25
The former World Champion reveals how losing his belt reignited his passion at the highest level.
By Chris Mohan
Aug 5, 2026, 10:03 UTC
Nabil Anane did not expect losing his ONE Bantamweight Muay Thai World Title to feel like a relief. But somewhere beneath the initial disappointment, that is exactly what it became.
The towering superstar gets a prime opportunity to work his way back toward that coveted crown when he faces three-division Lumpinee Stadium World Champion Suakim Pongsuphan PK in a high-stakes World Title eliminator at The Inner Circle 25.
The card broadcasts live in Asia primetime from Bangkok’s iconic Lumpinee Stadium on Friday, August 7, exclusively for subscribers at live.onefc.com.
Understanding why relief and heartbreak could effortlessly coexist requires looking back at what unfolded at The Inner Circle 7 this past March. That night, Rambolek Chor Ajalaboon dethroned Anane to successfully capture the divisional gold in a highly technical five-round contest.
Rather than viewing the difficult outcome purely as a setback, the 6-foot-4 athlete has come to see it as exactly what his career needed.
The 22-year-old reflected:
“Actually, my mental is good. It lit a fire under me. It made me feel like I’m not stuck. Because when I was the champion, no challengers were calling me out, so it felt a bit stagnant.
“Honestly, I felt stagnant, and my drive went down. I still trained hard – I always train hard – but the fire just wasn’t as bright. I think many people can understand that. Now that I’m not the champion anymore, I have a goal again. I have more fire in me.”
While he has certainly found a silver lining, the Team Mehdi Zatout representative does not pretend the defeat came without emotional pain.
The result brought an end to an incredible nine-fight unbeaten run in the promotion — a spectacular stretch that included statement victories over ONE World Champions “The Kicking Machine” Superlek and “King of the North” Nico Carrillo, as well as former two-time Lumpinee Stadium Muay Thai World Champion “Left Meteorite” Ratchasiesan Laochokcharoen.
Even so, Anane keeps the athletic setback firmly in perspective, deeply aware that many people around the world are carrying far heavier burdens than a lost championship.
The Thai-Algerian continued:
“Of course it was painful. It was very heavy. But it’s just about Muay Thai. It’s a minor thing compared to [other things]. I think no matter how bad off we are, there are always people who have it worse than us.
“I just lost my belt, but I still have a home to sleep in. My parents are waiting for me at home. The people I love are at home. I have food every night. I can eat whatever I want, and I sleep in an air-conditioned room. Some people don’t even have a place to sleep. Their lives are much worse than ours.”
Much like life beyond the global stage, adversity has a unique way of revealing true character.
The former ONE Bantamweight Muay Thai World Champion treats his latest hurdle not as a step backward, but as just another necessary obstacle on his relentless road to greatness.
That mature mindset did not appear overnight. It is the direct product of a martial artist who has successfully weathered setbacks before, learning each time that the version of himself on the other side emerged even stronger.
Anane told onefc.com:
“This defeat is like a test. That’s what I think. If I can get through it, I will be stronger. We shouldn’t overthink it. Perhaps it was something that was meant to happen. That’s how I look at it. There were many factors, and I’ve reflected on myself and tried to learn from it.
“It’s not my first loss. This one might hurt the most, but I’ve lost before, and I’ve always overcome it. Now that I’m older and more mature, why wouldn’t I be able to make it better than before? I can definitely do it.”
Walking The Talk
Talk of overcoming setbacks means little without dedicated action behind it, and Nabil Anane has spent the months since his World Title loss proving he means every single word.
Rather than chasing a complete stylistic overhaul, he has taken a much more introspective route. True growth, in his eyes, comes from understanding himself better, not from simply copying what has worked for someone else.
That measured, thoughtful philosophy now runs entirely through his elite preparation for Suakim.
The 22-year-old said:
“My training has changed. I understand my body much better. I’m not just blindly doing stuff. Sometimes you have to know your own body. Everyone has their own style and strengths. You can’t just copy someone else. It’s impossible. You have to master your own game.
“Sure, we can learn things that others are good at, but in the end, you have to adapt them to fit yourself. I’m constantly learning what works best for me and focusing on that. That goes for training and physical conditioning too.”
Beyond the promise of a guaranteed World Title rematch against divisional king Rambolek, Anane is highly motivated to win back the hearts of the supporters who have grown a little quieter since his recent defeat.
Public perception can shift rapidly in combat sports, and the young star is well aware that a tough loss carries weight well beyond the official record book. Rather than dwell on that shift, he views Friday night as the perfect opportunity to completely reverse it.
He added:
“If I perform well, people will believe in me again. Right now, some people might have lost faith because they saw me lose in a bad way. But I will reclaim that faith and prove it to everyone.”
Whether that happens immediately or not, Anane remains incredibly grateful simply to keep competing at his absolute best for the people who never left his corner.
At the end of the day, external validation has never meant too much to the Thai-Algerian standout. There is a much simpler, profound force driving everything he does on the global stage.
Anane summed it up simply:
“My motivation is the people I love. I just want to make them happy, and I want to be happy alongside those I love and those who love me. That’s all there is to it.
“In life, when you find something that makes you happy, you just stick with it. Then you share that happiness with the people you love and move forward together. It’s as simple as that.”
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