Nico Carrillo Vs. Saemapetch Fairtex: 4 Keys To Victory In Crucial Clash at ONE Fight Night 23
Two of the hardest-hitting bantamweight Muay Thai fighters on the planet will collide when Nico “King of the North” Carrillo takes on Saemapetch Fairtex at ONE Fight Night 23: Ok vs. Rasulov on Prime Video.
Both men have blasted their way to some incredible victories in ONE, and another emphatic stoppage live in U.S. primetime this Friday, July 5, could propel them to a shot at the ONE Bantamweight Muay Thai World Title.
With Carrillo currently the division’s #1-ranked contender and Saemapetch sitting in the #4 spot, both men have a lot to fight for, and they’ll aim to make a statement at Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.
Check out the four keys to victory that could dictate how things play out for the bantamweight knockout artists on their hunt for gold.
Carrillo’s Pressure
Carrillo believes his rival is a great front-runner who crumbles when the pressure is pointed back at him, so expect the Scot to go after Saemapetch aggressively.
The statistics back up “King of the North’s” assertion. Despite the Thai veteran registering some stunning wins in ONE, all five of his losses have come by stoppage, and this gives Carrillo the confidence to chase the finish.
With his imposing physical stature and incredible conditioning, Carrillo is a nightmare to deal with when he goes on the front foot. If Saemapetch falters and allows the surging contender to build up a head of steam, he’ll struggle to turn the tide.
“King of the North” is a threat in all areas — from the outside where he throws heavy kicks and punches to the inside where his uses his elbows and knees and does a lot of clinching.
This means there’s nowhere for the Thai star to catch a breath if Carrillo is intent on being the aggressor. Then the Scot can try to prove his claim that Saemapetch wilts under pressure.
Saemapetch’s Left Hand
The biggest weapon Saemapetch must use to stop Carrillo is his concussive left hand, a punch that has separated many men from their consciousness – including the opponents in four of his last five victories.
Because the Fairtex Training Center athlete is patient and doesn’t throw in volume, he can surprise his adversaries by bursting forward with his crunching southpaw straight.
He’s especially effective at using it in conjunction with his right hook or uppercut, but he’s also scored stoppages over elite rivals with single shots.
Carrillo might choose to be the one closing the distance if he senses Saemapetch waiting, but that could see him walk into a sharp cross when he steps in, which has the chance to double the impact.
The 29-year-old can also be very evasive, making opponents miss before he counters with his powerful left hand.
Carrillo’s Right Hand
In terms of power, Carrillo can fight fire with fire with his own blistering right hand.
The Glasgow native melts even the toughest of opponents with it, and he fancies his chances of going punch for punch with anybody in the division — including Saemapetch.
However, “King of the North” is not just a throw-and-hope kind of fighter. He sets up his rear cannon with an assertive jab that gets him in range before he uncorks the money shot.
Carrillo showed how dangerous his right punch is in his ONE debut. There, he fought Furkan Karabag at featherweight and still managed to finish his foe late in the third round, proving that even weight and fatigue won’t diminish his KO power.
Of course, the threat of the Deachkalek Muay Thai Academy athlete’s right hand also generates reactions, which can then open up other avenues for him to attack down, including with his liver-smashing left hook to the body.
Saemapetch’s Kicks
Given his rival’s dangerous output, a smart approach for Saemapetch would be to keep Carrillo at bay with his advantage in the kicking game.
Despite ultimately losing to “King of the North,” Nong-O Hama showed a potential weakness when he had the Scot hobbling from hard low kicks.
Saemapetch’s left kick is a very powerful weapon that he could use to the inside of the lead thigh to disrupt Carrillo, or he could use it to the body to score when his foe reaches with his right hand.
Both of these strategies could help to dissuade the 25-year-old from moving forward, allowing Saemapetch some breathing space to formulate his offense.
If Carrillo starts to mix it up with his kicks, the Chiang Rai native can bring in his slick lean-back-and-counter-low-kick move to score off his opponent’s attacks.
In fact, Saemapetch could amass enough damage to limit “King of the North’s” output, making it safer to unleash his own power shots.
