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ONE Championship Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong is confident Nico Carrillo will bounce back and rediscover his form in due time.
The Scotsman and No. 2-ranked bantamweight Muay Thai contender suffered his first loss under the promotional banner to Thai-Algerian phenom Nabil Anane at ONE 170 inside the sold-out Impact Arena last week.
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The ONE head honcho had nothing but praise for 'King of the North' during the ONE 170 post-fight press conference in light of his loss.
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He also remained confident that the Deachkalek Muay Thai Academy star has what it takes to find his groove without needing a switch in divisions:
"Nico is still one of the greatest fighters on the planet. There's no question about it. So I think one bad knockout doesn't mean he has to move weight classes. Again, he fought a monster."
Though many viewed him as a favorite to claim the ONE interim bantamweight Muay Thai world title and a ticket to unify the gold against divisional king Superlek Kiatmoo9, things didn't go to plan for Nico Carrillo.
No. 5-ranked Anane, who stood in for the injured Superlek, needed just two minutes and 35 seconds to wrap things up.
The Team Mehdi Zatout star floored Nico Carrillo thrice en route to his fastest finish on the global stage and a US$50,000 performance bonus.
Meanwhile, just a day after the fight, the Scottish warrior opened up on the possibility of moving permanently to the featherweight Muay Thai division.
Watch the full interview here:
Nabil Anane overjoyed by KO win over Nico Carrillo
Shortly after laying his hands on 26 pounds of gold, Nabil Anane spoke to members of the media on what this victory means to him.
The 20-year-old admitted that it was a dream come true to achieve this feat and he's never felt this thrilled in a long time:
"At first, I was very, very excited, and I haven't felt this excited since I was a very young boy. And I feel like I went back and became a young boy again for this fight. But whatever happens, I know that I have to dedicate a hundred percent to this fight."
Fight fans can relive all the action from ONE 170 via replay at watch.onefc.com.
