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Liam Harrison is putting his money on Nico Carrillo.
After scoring a quartet of highlight-reel knockouts in his first four appearances with the promotion, Carrillo returns to martial arts' biggest global stage this Friday, Jan. 24 for an interim ONE bantamweight Muay Thai world championship with 6-foot-4 sensation Nabil Anane at ONE 170.
It will be Carrillo's first time competing for 26 pounds of ONE Championship gold after working his way up the bantamweight rankings with wins over the likes of former ONE world titleholder Nong-O Hama and Thai superstar Saemapetch Fairtex.
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Offering his prediction for the first of three massive title bouts inside the iconic Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand, Harrison suggested that Carrillo's impressive power and lightning-quick attacks would be too much for Anane to overcome.
"“If he somehow manages to stand up to Nico’s attacks, fair play to him," Harrison told ONE Championship. "But I do not see how he can handle it. I don’t see how he’ll cope."
Originally, Nico Carrillo was scheduled to square off with reigning two-sport titleholder Superlek Kiatmoo9 at the event. Sadly, 'The Kicking Machine' was forced to bow out of the bout due to an injury, paving the way for Nabil Anane to step in and challenge for his first ONE world championship.
Since making his debut against Superlek, the Algerian-Thai standout has rattled off five straight wins inside the Circle, including knockouts against Nakrob Fairtex and Kulabdam.
In his last two outings, he earned victories over former ONE world title challenger Felipe Lobo and Lethwei legend Soe Lin Oo, earning him a spot as the third-ranked contender in the bantamweight Muay Thai division.
Will Anane make it six in a row and set the stage for an epic rematch with Superlek in 2025, or will Nico Carrillo prove to be too much for the 20-year-old up-and-comer to handle?
ONE Championship fans can catch ONE 170 live on Friday, Jan. 24 at watch.onefc.com.
