The No 1 ranked contender Nico Carrillo is on a run of devastating knockout wins and looking for his shot at Jonathan Haggerty's ONE Championship Muay Thai world title; But he must get past the destructive Saemapetch Fairtex, live on Sky Sports from 1am on Saturday morning
Saturday 6 July 2024 00:02, UK
Scottish Muay Thai star Nico Carrillo has wasted no time in announcing himself to ONE Championship’s bantamweight division, winning all three of his bouts with the promotion in devastating fashion.
The "King of the North" believes one more victory will put him in pole position for a shot at the ONE bantamweight Muay Thai World Title.
To even make such a claim, he'll need to beat No 4 ranked contender Saemapetch Fairtex at ONE Fight Night 23 in Bangkok's Lumpinee Stadium this Saturday (July 6), live on Sky Sports.
Carrillo is currently riding the hottest streak of his career. The Scot, who is ranked No 1 in the bantamweight division, hasn't been defeated in five years. His performances in ONE Championship have only improved with each outing, and he predicts Saemapetch will fall just like the rest.
"I know I have a serious contender in front of me. I don't overlook him in any way. He's up there as one of the hardest hitters in the division," Carrillo said.
"When he's the aggressor, he's awesome. He's amazing. But when he's pressured, he crumbles. They all crumble when they face me. Saemapetch will, just like everyone else. They all fall. Nobody has survived me yet."
After three consecutive knockout wins, which came against Furkan Karabag as well as Thai greats Muangthai PK Saenchai and former ONE bantamweight Muay Thai world champion Nong-O Gaiyanghadao, Carrillo has certainly separated himself from the pack.
The Scottish dangerman's dream is to achieve bantamweight gold and he's planning on facing the winner of the September 7 super-fight between two-sport king Jonathan Haggerty and ONE flyweight kickboxing world champion Superlek Kiatmoo9 when the pair throw down in Denver.
Whether that's an all-British clash with Haggerty or an epic showdown with "The Kicking Machine" Superlek, Carrillo insists that he should be next in line for a crack at the title - providing he can get past Saemapetch.
"At this point, I feel like I'm the best fighter in the world. I'm the most hard-working. All I need is for ONE to make the right matchups, put me on the platform, and let me prove it because I have done that so far, every single time," the 25-year-old asserted.
"When I beat Saemapetch and you look at my resume and see I've beaten fighters like him, Nong-O, Seksan [Or Kwanmuang], and others, the only thing that says I'm not the best in the world is a golden strap.
"It's just a case of me holding my position. I beat Saemapetch and then I'm undeniable after that.
"I am certain that I should get the winner of Haggerty versus Superlek."
Watch Carrillo vs Saemapetch live on Sky Sports from 1am on Saturday July 6 as well as a pivotal main event between former champ Ok Rae Yoon and unbeaten contender Alibeg Rasulov for the ONE Interim Lightweight MMA World Title.
