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How defeat helped Nico Carrillo rediscover his love for Muay Thai

How defeat helped Nico Carrillo rediscover his love for Muay Thai

Provided by Nation.

After a staggering loss to Nabil Anane at ONE 170, Nico Carrillo is hoping for new life in ONE Championship’s talent-rich featherweight Muay Thai division.  

On April 4, he hopes to start with a bang against Sitthichai Sitsongpeenong at ONE Fight Night 30 in Bangkok, Thailand’s Lumpinee Stadium.  

“I’m ready to show the world it was a one-off. As a result, I’ve actually gone back to try and master Muay Thai and not just knock people’s heads off with my boxing,” Carrillo said. 

“I’ll be a bull in a china shop if the opportunity presents itself, that’s just killer instinct. That’s deep within me. But I will try to be tidier by setting up things with kicks and using my full range of tools.” “The King of the North” is excited to get things rolling at featherweight. After the recent knockout loss stole his momentum, he wants to shine again to laugh in the face of his doubters. 

“I do have a point to prove. My life has stood still for this. I can’t just take time off after what happened, it can’t happen. I need to prove a lot of people wrong,” the Scot said. 

In drawing an elite opponent, Carrillo sees a path to quickly prove he belongs among the division’s elite. 

“Just how big a name he is. How successful he is. He’s the only one to beat Tawanchai (in Muay Thai). I’m just excited to go back into the deep end to show everyone how much I’m capable of,” Carrillo said. “His IQ is great. He’s a complete striker who always throws punches in bunches. He’s so good.  

I can’t knock him. He’s an eight-time world champion. I don’t have a bad word to say about him.”  

Rebounding from his last showing is less about quickly getting back in the win column and more about rediscovering his passion for Muay Thai. 

“The only thing I’ve realised is that I’m nothing without Muay Thai. My life stands still without it,” Carrilo said. 
“It’s all that has mattered to me since that day. I’m dying to right that wrong.

ONE Fight Night 30 will be broadcast live on watch.onefc.com, ONE’s Facebook page, and ONE’s YouTube channel at 7 a.m. Indochina Time (ICT) on Saturday, April 5. Channel 7 will cut into the live broadcast at 10 a.m. ICT

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AFP-JIJI PRESS NEWS JOURNAL


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