Ahead of ONE 171: Qatar, Why Morocco's Ilias Ennahachi is one of the best kickboxers on the planet

Sport360

12-02-2025

ONE Championship is blessed with some of the world's very best fighters across a range of disciples.
Whether we look at MMA, submission grappling, Muay Thai, or Kickboxing there is a wealth of global-level talent – and one of them is Morocco's Ilias Ennahachi.
The 28-year-old will return to action next week at ONE 171: Qatar when he takes on Petchtanong Petchfergus in the bantamweight kickboxing division. Ahead of that clash, we take a look at what makes him so special.
Never defeated for his title
A former ONE Flyweight Kickboxing World Champion, Ennahachi was never defeated for his title. Instead, it was only the scales able to get the better of him – being able to make the flyweight limit whilst hydrated was just too much for the Moroccan, so a move up and vacated title was a must
Six of the best
After starting kickboxing in his native Netherlands at the age of 11, it was soon clear that there was a prodigious talent on the horizon. What started as a hobby quickly became a passion and being able to compete on the local scene, quickly became national. Then he found himself a European champion – before the age of 23 he was six-time world champion and one of the world's very best was born.
Hard to hit
When watching Ennahchi fight, he has the incredible ability to make his opponents miss. Through a mix of speed, an ability to read what's happening, and super-slick footwork he has given some of the very best in the business a puzzle they have not been able to solve. How do you beat a man who you can barely lay a glove on?
Big name opponents
On face value, it is sometimes difficult to compare combat sports records like-for-like. Quality of opposition has to be taken into account – and we can safely say there is no 'padding' on Ennahchi's record. He's 40-3 overall in his pro kickboxing career – but hasn't been beaten since 2018. In that time, he had been put in the ring with some absolute killers. The most notable being Superlek – when Ennahchi became the first man to defeat him in ONE Championship – but special mentions also go to Hiroki Akimoto and Petchdam – both former world champions.
Two-weight Champion prospect
No longer in the flyweight limits, Ennahchi now fights among the bigger fish of the bantamweight division – but that transition has been seamless. Two fights have yielded two wins, including a conclusive knockout of Aliasghar Ghodratisaraskan before the scalp of Akimoto. Petchtanong Petchfergus poses a significant threat next week – but overcome that hurdle and a date with the ONE Bantamweight Kickboxing World Championship won't be far away.
That title will be on the line at ONE 171: Qatar when Jonathan Haggerty defends his gold against first-ranked challenger Wei Rui, who is riding a 21-win-streak.
ONE 171: Qatar takes place on Thursday February 20th at 5pm Mecca at the Lusail Sports Arena in Qatar. For ticket information, click here. Alternatively, you can watch the event live on BeIn Sports or at watch.onefc.com.