“His IQ is off the charts” - Nico Carrillo says bantamweight Muay Thai kingpin Superlek is a generational talent 

Second-ranked ONE bantamweight Muay Thai contender Nico Carrillo believes Superlek Kiatmoo9's fight intellect is the most underrated aspect of his game.

While it's easy to point out that the Thai megastar rose to two-sport and two-division supremacy through his insane striking talent, Carrillo thinks Superlek's success mostly comes from his sharp mind.

In an interview on Sky Sports, 'King of the North' described 'The Kicking Machine' as a one-of-a-kind special fighter. Carrillo said:

"He was a Lumpinee and Rajadamnern champion. His IQ is off the charts. He’s very fast. He’s aggressive. Again, he’s just one of the Thais you get only a few of them to come around every generation and he’s one of them."

Apart from having a multi-faceted striking arsenal, Superlek also has this amazing ability to adjust on the fly, depending on how his opponents react to his strikes.

Once the 29-year-old megastar analyzes a pattern to his counterpart's game plan, it's pretty much a wrap.

Carrillo acknowledges that there are no weaknesses in the Kiatmoo9 Gym affiliate's seemingly perfect style. Trading kicks from the outside won't work since Superlek is too slick and has insane reflexes and timing.

Bull-rushing the flyweight kickboxing and bantamweight Muay Thai king is extremely risky as well since he has those crushing elbows that he can uncork from all angles.

Nico Carrillo ignoring the pressure ahead of title clash with the great Superlek

Nico Carrillo understands the magnitude of the most important fight of his career.

The Scottish slugger will challenge Superlek for his bantamweight Muay Thai throne in the co-main event of ONE 170 this coming Jan. 24 at Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand.

For 'King of the North', this make-or-break fight is a chance to prove that he is indeed world-class by beating arguably the pound-for-pound best striker in the world today.

Moreover, it's also a golden chance to bring pride and glory to his home country. Carrillo told Sky Sports:

"I'm trying not to set it too high and think about it [claiming the ONE world title] because I have this opportunity to do this for Britain, and it is overwhelming. It's so big that I can't even explain it."

Watch Nico Carrillo's full Sky Sports interview: