“I was quickly put at ease” - Nico Carrillo thanks ONE for offering Nabil Anane as a replacement after Superlek’s injury

Nico Carrillo is grateful for ONE Championship securing him an interim title fight after his originally scheduled clash with Superlek Kiatmoo9 was scrapped.

'The King of the North' was originally set to challenge Superlek for the ONE bantamweight Muay Thai world title this Friday night, January 24, at ONE 170 inside the iconic Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand. Sadly, 'The Kicking Machine' was forced to bow out of the bout due to injury, leaving Carrillo without an opponent.

Fortunately, streaking 6'4" standout Nabil Anane was secured as a replacement opponent. Now, the two will go toe-to-toe on martial arts' biggest global stage to crown a new interim ONE bantamweight Muay Thai titleholder.

Speaking with ONE Championship ahead of his highly anticipated return to the Circle, Carrillo expressed gratitude towards the promotion for not just finding him a replacement opponent but ensuring that all of his hard work over the last several was not for nothing.

"With Superlek being out, it was a tough one at first," Carrillo said. "But when it quickly got rearranged for the interim World Title, I was quickly put at ease because I'd already put in weeks and weeks of hard work."

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Nico Carrillo vs. Nabil Anane is a battle between two of ONE's most exciting prospects

Nico Carrillo goes into his first ONE world title opportunity with four-straight finishes inside the Circle with his two most impressive victories coming against former ONE titleholder Nong-O Hama and Thai legend Saemapetch Fairtex.

Those wins were enough to thrust 'The King of the North' towards the top of the bantamweight rankings, setting the stage for a shot at 26 pounds of gold.

Meanwhile, Algerian-Thai star Nabil Anane has been dominating the competition after making his promotional debut against Superlek in June 2023.

Anane has won five-straight, including highlight-reel knockouts against Nakrob Fairtex and Kulabdam. In his last two outings, he secured decisive decision victories over former ONE world title challenger Felipe Lobo and Lethwei legend Soe Lin Oo.

Who comes out on top when two of ONE Championship's most exciting prospects square off for interim gold in The Land of Smiles?

ONE Championship fans can catch ONE 170: Tawanchai vs. Superbon II live on Friday, January 24 at watch.onefc.com.