- George Chung
- Dec 31, 2024
- 2 min read
Superlek Kiatmoo9 has been forced out of his ONE Bantamweight Muay Thai World Title defense at ONE 170 due to a knee injury. However, bantamweight gold will still be on the line as ONE Championship announced an interim title tilt in his absence.
#2-ranked bantamweight contender Nico Carrillo will remain on the card to square off against rising star Nabil Anane for the interim crown.
Carrillo has been nothing short of phenomenal since arriving in ONE with a perfect 4-0 record in the organization. More impressive, all four matches have ended emphatically, including stunning second-round finishes over Muangthai PK Saenchai, Nong-O Hama, and Saemapetch Fairtex.
The Scotsman has been locked in on becoming the division’s king since his first victory on the global stage, and hopes that January 24 will be his crowning moment.
Anane, however, will look to spoil the party and make a splash by striking gold himself.
The 20-year-old Thai star is enjoying a five-bout winning streak inside the ring, and accepted the challenge to face “The King of the North” without hesitation.
Anane has used his long frame and high volume to overwhelm opponents, but Carrillo will be his toughest test since his debut match against Superlek in June 2023.
The unification bout has also already been set, so whoever wins will know what awaits them later this year. Superlek will return to face the victor at the Saitama Super Arena on Sunday, March 23, in Japan, at ONE 172.
The five-round collision has all the makings for a championship firefight, and Superlek will be waiting for whoever adorns the 26 pounds of gold over their shoulder in March.
ONE 170 airs live on Friday, January 24, at 6 a.m. EST/3 a.m. PST.
