Nico Carrillo has been perfect since arriving in ONE Championship. The “King of the North” has terrorized the bantamweight Muay Thai division with devastating results, and now stands one win away from wearing gold. At ONE 170, Carrillo meets Nabil Anane for the ONE Interim Bantamweight Muay Thai World Title.
Anane is on a sensational five-match winning streak. The rise of the Thai star has captured the attention of Nico Carrillo, who has taken notice of his skills. Still, the Scot is ever-confident that he can add another KO to his record on Friday, January 24.
Nico Carrillo on Nabil Anane Ahead of ONE 170 Fight Friday
“[Anane is] definitely a worthy challenger. He’s on a crazy trajectory right now, beating everyone put in front of him in ONE Championship, but I’m going to knock him out,” Nico Carrillo stated to ONE.
No L’s in sight 👀 Can Nico Carrillo add another W to his record when he faces Nabil Anane for the ONE Interim Bantamweight Muay Thai World Title at ONE 170?#ONE170 | Jan 24 6PM ICT/6AM ET
🌎 Live TV broadcast in 190+ countries (check local listings) pic.twitter.com/MxvABZblgp— ONE Championship (@ONEChampionship) January 5, 2025
Although Nico Carrillo was bold in his prediction, he holds Anane in high regard. The 20-year-old has been battle-tested and earned his stripes on the global stage against some of the toughest strikers in the division. For that, Carrillo is impressed.
“He’s good, but I don’t think he’d be as good as he is if he didn’t have his height advantage. Nonetheless, he is good. I don’t really have a bad thing to say about him. I like him. He’s young. He hasn’t been given anything. He’s a humble, hardworking guy, so there’s nothing but respect from my side,” the Scotsman replied.
Nico Carrillo Views ONE 170 as Stepping Stone Toward Eventual Undisputed Championship
ONE 170 is destiny for the 26-year-old. The “King of the North” remarked on his path toward the gold and how it is a story that is being written in real-time. Although undisputed gold is still off in the distance, the interim crown still means the world to the Deachkalek Muay Thai Academy representative.
“It’s inevitable that I’ll become king. This is just another chapter to tell in my story. In order for me to become the undisputed champion, I had to take the hardest road to get there. I had to fight the number one, then defend my number one spot, was meant to fight for the title,” the bantamweight star remarked.
Nico Carrillo was initially slated to face ONE Bantamweight Muay Thai World Champion Superlek Kiatmoo9 at ONE 170. However, the Thai superstar was forced off the card due to injury. Although Carrillo admits his disappointment in losing the match against Superlek, he quickly saw the positives and switched gears to focus on Anane.
“It was difficult when I first got the call [about Superlek], as I was a little bit down about it. But then you start looking for positives. Then I was matched with Nabil Anane. In life, you really need to always have a positive outlook. So I maintain mine. Whether the sun is shining, whether I’m happy, sad, or hungry, it doesn’t matter,” the title hopeful said.
Nico Carrillo Taking It a Step at a Time
Should Carrillo win, he will get his match against Superlek later in 2025 at ONE 172 in Japan. But first comes the towering Thai striker who wants to usurp his position. The 26-year-old says he has made all the adjustments necessary to ensure that does not happen.
“It’s a slightly different approach given how tall he is and his body type is very hard to replicate. But we’ve tried to get guys that match him as close as possible in order to prepare the best we can. Nonetheless, it will be the same outcome. A different fight, but the same result with me winning,” Carrillo commented.
ONE 170 airs live on Friday, January 24, on ONE’s official YouTube channel. The action begins at 6:30 a.m. EST/3:30 a.m. PST. The event airs free from Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand.