‘It’s Inevitable That I’ll Become King’ – Nico Carrillo Plans To Finish Nabil Anane And Claim Interim Muay Thai Gold
Surging Scottish slugger Nico “King of the North” Carrillo is confident that he’ll soon score his fifth straight knockout in ONE and claim 26 pounds of gold.
This Friday at ONE 170, the 26-year-old sensation will take on young Thai-Algerian phenom Nabil Anane for the ONE Interim Bantamweight Muay Thai World Title in front of a sold-out crowd at Bangkok’s Impact Arena.
Carrillo, the #2-ranked bantamweight Muay Thai contender, was originally slated to challenge reigning titleholder “The Kicking Machine” Superlek Kiatmoo9 for the undisputed crown, but an injury to Superlek forced that bout off the card. Anane then stepped up for this chance at the interim gold.
“King of the North” has plenty of respect for his foe’s impressive five-fight winning streak but sees him as just another name for his growing list of victims.
He told onefc.com:
“[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.”
Carrillo admits that Anane, with his towering 6-foot-4 frame, represents a difficult puzzle to solve.
But while he doesn’t doubt the 20-year-old’s accomplishments and work ethic, he doesn’t think Anane’s Muay Thai skills match up with his own physical attributes:
“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.”
After four fights and four highlight-reel stoppages in ONE, Carrillo believes it’s his destiny to hold the undisputed ONE Bantamweight Muay Thai World Title.
His road to the top has been anything but easy, beating former long-reigning titleholder Nong-O Hama and decorated Thai veteran Saemapetch Fairtex along the way.
He explained his mindset:
“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.”
Ultimately, Carrillo envisions the same outcome against Anane that he’s achieved against each of the four world-class strikers he’s faced in ONE.
He was straight to the point when asked how the fight will play out on January 24:
“My prediction is violence.”
Carrillo Opens Up About Change Of Opponent
Nico Carrillo is pleased with the chance to fight for an Interim World Title, but the opportunity is bittersweet. After all, he was initially planning to face pound-for-pound great Superlek Kiatmoo9 in a showdown for the undisputed gold.
Even though a matchup with “The Kicking Machine” is no longer in his immediate future, he’s been able to roll with the punches:
“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.”
With a change of opponent comes a change of game plan. Accordingly, “King of the North” has modified his training and switched up his sparring partners to prepare for Anane’s long and lanky frame.
Those changes haven’t shaken Carrillo’s confidence in the least. There’s no doubt in his mind, he added, that he’ll become a ONE World Champion at ONE 170:
“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.”
