"I was meant to be next in line anyway" - Nico Carrillo on massive opportunity to fight Superlek for gold at ONE 170

Nico Carrillo isn't surprised he's next in line to fight Superlek for the ONE bantamweight Muay Thai crown. He's just happy it's official after waiting on the sidelines for nearly a year.

The 'King of the North' is excited to begin another arduous training camp this month, in preparation for his world title clash with top pound-for-pound superstar Superlek Kiatmoo9 at ONE 170 on January 24.

The Thai striker recently solidified himself as an unprecedented two-division world champion when he moved up to bantamweight to defeat former Muay Thai king 'The General' Jonathan Haggerty at ONE 168: Denver.

Although Carrillo holds no grudges over their spontaneous matchup despite being the No. 1 contender, he always knew that he would be next in line to fight the winner between Superlek and Haggerty.

"I was meant to be next in line anyway after I beat Nong-O," he began telling Leather'd Podcast. "And then Superlek wasn't even at 145, he's at 135, and he just jumped the queue and just fought for the title. But fair enough because he's then won it. He knocked Haggerty out in 50 seconds."

ONE 170 will air live and for free from inside the Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand, in US Primetime in North America via Prime Video.

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"I'm like a fine wine" - Nico Carrillo says his ability to break down high-level opponents shines through in every fight

There's no doubt that Nico Carrillo is the biggest threat to Superlek's bantamweight Muay Thai crown.

Carrillo's journey in ONE Championship got off to an incredible start, with him knocking out Turkish power-striker Furkan Karabag at ONE Friday Fights 13. Lightning struck again the same year with a second-round stoppage against legendary Muay Thai fighter Muangthai PK Sanechai.

However, his rapid KO over Nong-O Hama, the former long-time divisional champion, truly solidified him as the No.1 contender to the throne.

As the 'King of the North' described before, he possesses an unmatched ability to break down high-level opponents after each new training camp. Therefore, he expects to do the same when he crosses Superlek at ONE 170.

He told ONE:

"I'm very confident in my ability that I can handle anything in my fights. I'm only getting better with age. I'm like a fine wine."