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Moroccan fighters scored mixed results in ONE Championship in 2024, with eight fighters participating in 13 bouts across the martial arts organization’s monthly series ONE Fight Nights and numbered cards as well as its weekly series ONE Friday Fights.
In two of the year’s biggest results, former ONE Flyweight Kickboxing world champion Ilias Ennahachi made a triumphant return to ONE Championship, clinching his second win from two bouts at bantamweight while two-division ISKA and WMC world champion Youssef Assouik captured a statement debut victory against an established star.
Let us look back at five of the biggest wins by Moroccan athletes in 2024 in ONE Championship.
Abdelali Zahidi Beats Previously Undefeated Myanmar Star
Abdelali Zahidi opened his ONE account with a brilliant second-round knockout win against the previously undefeated Tun Min Aung. After a dominant display, Zahidi captured the victory at ONE Friday Fights 88 with a high left kick that dropped his opponent to the canvas at 2:40 of the second stanza.
Zahidi would go on to lose his second bout in December against legendary kickboxing star Marat Grigorian, but the Moroccan star surely has his eyes set on making a comeback in 2025.
VIDEO: https://fb.watch/w0pNf_dtYd/
Youssef Assouik Defeats Former World Title Challenger
Moroccan Muay Thai star Youssef Assouik joined ONE Championship with an impressive resume. The 30-year-old is the former world champion at International Sport Karate Association (ISKA), the first Moroccan to win the senior world title at the prestigious International Federation of Muaythai Associations (IFMA), and the current World Muay Thai Council (WMC) Middleweight Muay Thai champion.
On his debut in October, Assouik rose to expectations with a memorable unanimous decision win against former ONE Lightweight Muay Thai world title challenger Sinsamut Klinmee. The win paved the way for the Moroccan to continue his ascent towards a world title challenge.
Ilias Ennahachi Beats Second-Ranked Bantamweight
Ilias Ennahachi returned to ONE Championship in the summer of 2024 with a clean 4-0 record, including a historic win against current two-sport world champion Superlek Kiatmoo.
After moving to bantamweight, the former Flyweight Muay Thai world champion picked up an impressive unanimous decision win in September against second-ranked Hiroki Akimoto – a victory that takes him closer towards fighting for the division’s world title belt.
VIDEO: https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1DvhAMEe9u/
Imad Salhi Opens ONE Account with Knockout Victory
Imad Salhi raised his overall record to 14-1 with a knockout debut win against Japan’s Arashi Sakamoto in August. The 22-year-old used his constant movement, heavy kicks, and hooks before crashing his Japanese rival onto the mat with a left kick at 1:40 of the first frame.
VIDEO: https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1DiVXkpLm4/
Zakaria El Jamari Scores Huge Upset
Zakaria El Jamari might not have had the best 2024 at ONE Championship with three losses from four bouts, but his unanimous decision victory against popular Thai fighter Thongpkoon PK Saenchai was one of the year’s biggest upsets in ONE Championship.
In May, the 35-year-old Moroccan absorbed the Thai’s kicks and punches, and replied decisively in what was an entertaining performance at Bangkok’s Lumpinee Stadium to capture a memorable win.
VIDEO: https://fb.watch/wTDrQmxyD-/
