Former ONE Bantamweight Muay Thai World Champion Nabil Anane says his March title loss to Rambolek Chor Ajalaboon has sharpened his motivation rather than diminished it, ahead of a title eliminator against Suakim PongSuphan PK at The Inner Circle 25 on Friday, August 7, at Lumpinee Stadium.
Anane said he had felt stagnant as champion before losing the belt in a five-round decision at The Inner Circle 7 in March, a result that ended a nine-fight unbeaten run including wins over Superlek and Nico Carrillo.
“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,” Anane said.
The winner of Friday’s eliminator earns a guaranteed rematch with Rambolek. Anane, 22, said he has restructured his training approach since the loss, focusing on understanding his own strengths rather than copying other fighters’ styles.
Anane also said a strong performance against Suakim would help him win back support from fans following his title defeat, adding that his primary motivation remains his family rather than external validation.
