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There are not a lot of people lining up to face Scottish devastator Nico Carrillo, particularly on short notice. When Superlek Kiatmoo9 had to bow out of ONE 170 due to a knee injury, 'King of The North' feared no one would be brave enough to take 'The Kicking Machine's' place.
Luckily, Nabil Anane came to the rescue and agreed to step in as a replacement in the world's largest martial arts organization's return to the Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand on Jan. 24.
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In an interview with ONE ahead of this explosive interim bantamweight Muay Thai world title showdown, Carrillo praised the towering Algerian for stepping up to the plate:
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"Now I'm fighting Nabil, I'm glad he stepped up. It's a big opportunity for him also. He's crazy if he didn't take it. I don't think much of him stepping up, good on him. I'd have had more to say if he didn't. But now we have another fight to prepare for!"
Nico Carrillo hasn't met a fighter he couldn't finish in the home of martial arts. The No.2 ranked bantamweight Muay Thai contender is coming off violent finishes of Thai destroyers Nong-O Hama and Saemapetch Fairtex.
Anane, on the other hand, is on a rampage of his own and will look to extend his winning streak to six and capture 26 pounds of gold, all on the same night.
Nico Carrillo says he's come to terms with Superlek's injury
Nico Carrillo is not one to dwell on matters out of his control. As much as he would have wanted to dethrone arguably the pound-for-pound best striker Superlek, he'll simply wait until the right time comes.
On the flip side, the hard-hitting Scot would rather put all his energy into claiming the interim bantamweight Muay Thai world championship.
'King of The North' told ONE:
"This one [Superlek's injury] is out of my hands, but I'll make it all so much worth it. The harder the route, the longer the reign."
Fans in the United States and Canada can watch ONE 170 free via Amazon Prime Video.
