"He'd be happy to defend right away" - Nico Carrillo reveals why a Superlek win over Jonathan Haggerty favors him

ONE bantamweight Muay Thai contender Nico Carrillo has had his mind set on one goal and opponent since his arrival in ONE Championship.

As he has continued to rack up wins and finishes in the division, Jonathan Haggerty has sat at the top of the weight class as the world champion.

Last time out, Carrillo cemented his status as the next in line by stopping Saemapetch Fairtex at ONE Fight Night 23 to defend his number one ranking.

He is now set to watch on very closely as the title is put on the line in ONE Championship's return to the United States at ONE 168 in Denver.

Despite being on this heated collision course with Haggerty which would lead to a huge fight, Carrillo knows that there's a decent chance that his challenger, Superlek, leaves the Ball Arena with the world championship.

In an interview with the South China Morning Post, the Scot said that in some ways, this outcome would actually benefit him because of Superlek's schedule:

"And I think if Superlek wins, he'd be happy to defend right away. If Haggerty wins, he'd probably go on a six-month holiday and won't defend till next year."

Watch the full interview below:

Nico Carrillo isn't fussed either way

Despite the feud with Haggerty that has been there for some time now, Nico Carrillo is not concerned with who the world champion is as long as he's getting his shot.

The title clash at ONE 168 is sure to be one of the biggest fights of the year but this won't concern the number one contender that will be breathing down the necks of whoever comes out on top.

Either Haggerty or Superlek will face yet another massive test after coming out on top on September 6 with Carrillo eagerly anticipating his first title shot.

Tickets for ONE 168: Denver are available via Ticketmaster.