Nico Carrillo Vs. Nabil Anane: 4 Keys To Victory In Interim Muay Thai World Title Fight At ONE 170
ONE 170 will see two of Muay Thai’s most talented and entertaining young strikers throw down for the ONE Interim Bantamweight Muay Thai World Title.
This Friday, January, 24 in Asia primetime, Scottish destroyer Nico “King of the North” Carrillo will square off with Thai-Algerian phenom Nabil Anane in a high-stakes showdown at Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand.
Both men will come into the contest on impressive winning streaks, each having proved himself as a top-tier contender worthy of a coveted crack at gold.
Before the Circle Door closes, we take a look at the most important keys to victory for #2-ranked Carrillo and #5-ranked Anane.
#1 Carrillo’s Methodical Pressure
After four appearances in ONE and four highlight-reel knockouts, the Scotsman has made it no small secret that he’s among the sport’s most ruthless finishers, and he’s most dangerous when backing his foe into the boundary and unloading ferocious combinations.
However, closing the distance on the towering Anane will be no easy task. In order to navigate his opponent’s dangerous long-range weapons, the 26-year-old must apply constant yet careful forward pressure.
In practice, this means that Carrillo should stay defensively sound as he advances, moving his head while keeping a high guard and always ready to check any leg kicks that might come his way. He’d also be wise to pepper Anane with leg kicks of his own as he marches forward.
If he’s able to pin the Team Mehdi Zatout product against the cage, Carillo will put himself in the best possible position to win 26 pounds of gold.
#2 Anane’s Punishing Jab
While Carrillo will undoubtedly look to apply pressure, Anane will aim to employ his lanky 6-foot-4 frame to keep his foe at distance. With that in mind, he should rely heavily on his thudding long-range jab.
The 20-year-old’s straight jab works at two levels. First, it maintains the distance by stopping his opponent dead in his tracks, forcing him to exchange from a longer range, where Anane does his best work.
Second, Anane’s jab can do serious damage, and he’s proven time and time again to carry stunning power in his punches.
Fans should expect to see the Thai-Algerian pump out his jab early and often to keep Carrillo at bay – and ideally, to set up the fight-ending blow.
#3 Carrillo’s Devastating Mid-Range Combinations
“King of the North” has finished every opponent he’s faced in ONE, and he’s done it all with his savage mid-range combinations and show-stopping power.
Carrillo is undoubtedly a well-rounded and elite striker capable of throwing the full array of Muay Thai weaponry, but he is most terrifying when he’s unloading punch and elbow combinations against a stationary opponent.
If he wants to take out Anane and claim the Interim World Title, he must take advantage of every opportunity to plant his feet and fire off his trademark combinations, mixing up concussive punches with bone-crushing elbow strikes.
#4 Anane’s Soul-Stealing Knee Strikes
Knee strikes are perhaps Anane’s most dangerous single weapon, and he’d be smart to employ them liberally against the ultra-aggressive Carrillo.
Because he’s so tall for the bantamweight division, Anane can throw his knee strikes just as easily to the head as to the body, making them incredibly difficult to defend.
What’s more, he’s an expert at firing off his knee strikes against an advancing opponent. Each and every time Carrillo lunges forward to unleash a combination, Anane can look to meet him with a thunderous knee.
These knee strikes – whether thrown to the body or head – can quickly add up and put the young prodigy in a prime position to score the knockout and capture the ONE Interim Bantamweight Muay Thai World Title.
