Tiger Kim Claims Victory Over Nabil, Credits Good Fortune
Tiger Kim defeated former ONE Championship bantamweight champion Nabil Anane in a points decision at Lumpinee Stadium, earning a title shot and crediting luck for a crucial second-round knockdown. In a rematch at the same event, Russian box
The Inner Circle 25 took place at Lumpinee Stadium (Rama Intra) on August 7, featuring a bantamweight matchup between Nabil Anane, former ONE Championship world champion, and Tiger Kim Pong Suphon PK from Chanthaburi. The winner would earn the right to challenge for the title.
In the opening round, both fighters were cautious. Nabil relied on his longer reach and kicks, while Tiger Kim waited to counter and counter-punch. By the second round, they traded blows aggressively. Tiger Kim landed a right hand to Nabil's body, sending him down for a count. Though he returned to fight, Tiger Kim continued pressing for a finish without success.
In the final round, Nabil launched an immediate assault with punches and elbows, while Tiger Kim stood and traded with full intensity—punches and elbows exchanged fiercely. The referee ultimately raised Tiger Kim's hand in a non-unanimous points decision, awarding him a 1.7 million baht bonus.
After the fight, Tiger Kim acknowledged that Nabil's height made landing punches difficult in the first round. Regarding the knockdown in the second round, he admitted it was lucky—the punch simply landed clean. He credited his ability to stand in the third round to two factors: heart and the knowledge that Nabil, once counted, would not give up easily.
"If I had to fight Nabil again, I'd need to train five times harder than this," Tiger Kim said. "I'm getting old now, and Nabil is a tall, long, and sharp fighter. I wish my brother success. I hope to see him grow stronger."
In another standout bout, Armenian powerboxer Marat Grigoryan faced Russian brawler Mamuka Usubyan in a ONE Samurai Tournament featherweight semifinal. Grigoryan confidently pressed forward with relentless attacks, outpointing Usubyan and advancing to the next round.
The co-main event was a rematch between Russian boxer Abdullah Daiyakhaev and Supralet, ONE Championship kickboxing flyweight champion from Buriram. Their previous fight occurred at The Inner Circle 14 on May 15, 2025, when Daiyakhaev missed weight but Supralet agreed to fight; Supralet lost by non-unanimous decision.
In the opening round, Supralet tried carefully with planned combinations, looking for openings with elbows and kicks against Daiyakhaev. In the second round, disaster struck: as Daiyakhaev was launching a flurry of punches, Supralet suddenly dropped and pointed to his own leg. The referee stopped the bout, declaring Daiyakhaev the winner by TKO in round two, avenging the previous loss.
