Nico Carrillo is no longer interested in defending his number one contender spot; he’s focused on challenging for Jonathan Haggerty’s world title.
After his impressive victory over Saemapetch Fairtex in July, Carrillo is keenly anticipating the bout between Haggerty and Superlek Kiatmoo9. They are set to clash for the ONE Muay Thai bantamweight world championship.
‘I need to see what happens with Haggerty versus Superlek. Ideally, I’d like to fight the winner in November. If Haggerty wins, I expect he’ll try to avoid fighting me and look for easier defenses,’ Carrillo commented.
‘Superlek would likely be willing to defend the title against me, but it’s unclear if he has plans to fight Rodtang [Jitmuangnon, the flyweight champion] next. I’m in a difficult position at the moment.’
Carrillo is concerned about missing his chance at the title as other fighters enter the title picture.
‘I want to stay active, but I’ve just defended my No. 1 ranking against a very tough opponent. When you’re the top contender, the next step should be a title shot,’ he explained.
‘I can’t keep defending my No. 1 position; there’s too much risk for me to lose. I’ve already taken risks to defend it. I need to fight for the title.’
A title fight between a world champion and the number one contender, both from Britain, in a major combat sports organization would be a significant event.
Carrillo believes this fight should happen next. ‘My fear is that they will try to delay the fight to build it up more and potentially host it in England. In my opinion, we should fight now, and I believe I would beat him decisively. Then we could have a rematch in England. There’s no need to wait; the time to fight is now,’ he stated.
He added, ‘I believe I would knock out Jonathan Haggerty, just like my other opponents. I have no doubt I would win and become champion.’
‘Everything I’ve predicted, I’ve accomplished. I make bold statements about what I’m going to do, and so far, I’ve been right every time. I have a strong belief in myself, and I consistently prove myself right.’
Carrillo remains undefeated in ONE Championship, with all four of his wins coming by way of knockout, highlighting his confidence. ‘I know ONE fans want to see exciting fights, so I adapted my style to deliver that,’ he added.
‘It was a great decision by the boss [ONE CEO Chatri Sityodtong] to switch to 4oz gloves. It makes the fights much more entertaining and action-packed.’
‘When I joined ONE Championship, it felt like a new sport. Before, you could absorb kicks and punches with bigger gloves, but in ONE, with smaller gloves, everything gets through. There’s very little margin for error.’
‘Even a jab can knock you out; any lapse in concentration can be fatal.’
Fighting for Legacy
The upcoming ONE 168 event could clarify Nico Carrillo’s next career move. However, his ambitions extend beyond just winning titles, aiming to leave a lasting impact on the sport.
‘My goals are bigger than just fighting. I want to inspire the younger generation and people in general. I came from a tough background, from humble beginnings. You don’t need to have everything to achieve everything,’ he said. ‘You can choose your own path.’
‘Walking into a Thai boxing gym changed my life. If it did that for me, I believe it can do the same for thousands of others.’
Don’t Miss Harrison’s Fight
British Muay Thai pioneer Liam Harrison is returning to the ring on September 7th after a two-year absence. He aims to get back to winning ways against Seksan Or Kwanmuang, and Carrillo is confident in his chances.
‘I think he’ll knock out Seksan,’ Carrillo predicted. ‘I have nothing but respect for Liam Harrison. He inspired me and many younger fighters at my gym. He’s probably the most successful British fighter of this generation. He single-handedly put UK Muay Thai on the map.’
Carrillo hopes to follow in Harrison’s footsteps and become the next significant figure in British Muay Thai.
‘I believe I’m already heading in that direction,’ he said. ‘I think [Haggerty] would agree. There’s a question – we need to determine who the best is. Once we fight, we’ll see who the greatest fighter in the UK is.’
Marcus Bellamy