Former Champs collide – Ilias Ennahachi vs Petchtanong
Former ONE flyweight kickboxing champion Ilias Ennahachi will face off against former ONE bantamweight kickboxing champion Petchtanong will throw down at ONE 171. the two bantamweight kickboxers will likely be gunning for top contenders in the division ruled by Jonathan “The General” Haggerty. Who will be defending his title in the main event of ONE 171.
However, this isn’t just a match-up of former champions; this is a match of the best kickers in the entire bantamweight kickboxing division in ONE. The two fighters are known for difficult-to-deal-with styles, as both fighters have acquired quite the scalps in ONE, with impressive wins on both ends.
Petchtanong broke the Thai mold by proving himself a far better kickboxer than a Muay Thai fighter. He won Kickboxing titles in China and Europe and also managed to win the ONE Bantamweight title by defeating Hirkoi Akimoto back in late 2022. He displayed his brutal body kicks and even outboxed the karate-style kickboxer. However, he was stripped of the title the following year, in 2023, due to a failed drug test.
This wouldn’t stop Petchtanong as he would face Dagestani Russian Kickboxer and former ONE kickboxing champion Alvarediz Ramazanov. Making the Dagestani quit by outclassing him with his excellent power boxing and signature heavy kicks. Despite being 39 years of age, the Petchtanong is showing no sign of stopping in his attempt to regain the title he lost in disgraceful fashion.
On the other hand, Ilias Ennahachi, the former ONE flyweight kickboxing champion, is another decorated kickboxer with many elite-level wins, including against Petchdam, Hiroki Akimoto, and even Superlek (although in quite a controversial manner). Ennahachi also lost his belt in a contentious manner after his win against Superlek. The Durch-Morrocan fighter was set to face Superlek again in a rematch.
However, this wouldn’t happen, as Ennahachi would vacate the flyweight kickboxing title because he could not make the weight and pass the hydration test. This led to him moving up to bantamweight, where he was looking to defeat the much older Petfergus and face the winner, Johnathan Haggerty, and Wei Rui.
Ilias Ennahachi and Petchtanong fight for a shot to reclaim the gold.
Johnathan Haggerty may have lost his Muay Thai title to Superlek, but he still holds the most coveted belt in kickboxing, the ONE Kickboxing world title. And the bantamweight division of ONE’s kickboxing is full of absolute killers, with two former champions, Ennahachi and Petchtanong, looking to earn a shot at him on the same card he’s defending against a phenom In Wei Rui.
The bantamweight kickboxing division in ONE is deep right now and in a battle between two kicking specialists in Ennahachi and Petfergus. We should all get ready to sit back and watch the fireworks.
