“Grown so much from that fight” - Nico Carrillo says Nabil Anane became a whole different monster since losing to Superlek

Third-ranked ONE Championship bantamweight Muay Thai contender and former world title challenger 'King of the North' Nico Carrillo of Scotland isn't one to withhold props, and that's exactly what he gave former opponent Nabil Anane.

Carrillo lost a shocking first-round technical knockout to the 6-foot-4 tall phenom at ONE 170 last January, in a fight that he was the heavy favorite coming in.

With that victory, Anane became the ONE interim bantamweight Muay Thai world champion and booked a highly anticipated unification bout against Superlek Kiatmoo9 in Japan next month.

Speaking to South China Morning Post in a recent interview, Carrillo gave his thoughts on Anane's quick rise.

'King of the North' said:

"People are saying ‘ooh Superlek’s done this and that.’ Nabil, who’s grown so much from that fight, and then you think about how Nabil from 135 is transformed to a 145-er who’s doing really well."

Carrillo cited difficulty making the bantamweight limit for his bout against Anane and has announced his decision to move up to featherweight going forward with his career.

Stay tuned to Sportskeeda MMA for all the latest news and updates surrounding Nico Carrillo's next fight.

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Nabil Anane to challenge Superlek Kiatmoo9 for undisputed bantamweight Muay Thai gold at ONE 172 in Saitama

Algerian-Thai phenom Nabil Anane will attempt to unify the ONE bantamweight Muay Thai world title with reigning king 'The Kicking Machine' Superlek Kiamtoo9 of Thailand in his next fight.

The two do battle at ONE 172: Takeru vs. Rodtang, which will broadcast live from the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan on Sunday, March 23.

Fans in the United States and Canada can check ONE Championship's official website or visit watch.onefc.com for more information on how to watch.