Nico Carrillo ONE Fight Night 30: "It was not me that night" - Nico Carrillo says he wasn't at his best at ONE 170, says smaller fighters could've finished him

Every world-class athlete experiences a slump at one point in their career, but 26-year-old Muay Thai star Nico Carrillo went through one at the worst possible time.

This past January, the Scottish standout competed for the ONE interim bantamweight Muay Thai world championship against the 6-foot-4 Nabil Anane. Despite fans expecting him to leave the event with the crown, Carrillo was on the wrong end of a highlight-reel performance from the Thai-Algerian. Anane captured the interim crown via first-round TKO.

Reflecting on that showing in an interview with the promotion, the third-ranked ONE bantamweight Muay Thai competitor bared his thoughts about what went wrong:

"Prajanchai could've hit me that night and put me down. Johan Ghazali could've, too. It was not me that night. So I'm now with a point to prove."

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Almost three months since his four-fight winning streak ended, 'King of the North' is leaving behind the 145-pound division to move up to the featherweight Muay Thai ranks.

He will make his 155-pound Muay Thai debut on Friday, April 4, at ONE Fight Night 30 against the fifth-ranked ONE featherweight Muay Thai competitor, Sitthichai Sitsongpeenong.

ONE Fight Night 30 will emanate from the legendary Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand. The event will be available live and free to all Prime Video subscribers in the United States and Canada.

Nico Carrillo feels like a new man heading into ONE Fight Night 30

Undergoing a soft reboot can sometimes be necessary for some athletes, and Nico Carrillo believes the move to featherweight has breathed new life into his career.

Speaking with the promotion, the 26-year-old said:

"It does feel like a new beginning. I've been enjoying this a lot more. I've not had to be in a calorie deficit for weeks on end so I've been able to eat more and learn more. I've actually been able to get better."

About the author

Karl has been an MMA writer at Sportskeeda since 2023. He holds a Bachelor of Arts major in history, which helps him pay attention to the finer details while writing, and also has first-hand experience in boxing. He has a total experience of 5 years, and has worked for the International Business Times.

Karl turned into an MMA fan back in 2011 after watching Tito Ortiz defeat Ryan Bader via first-round submission at UFC 132. He has interviewed ONE world champions like Eduard Folayang, Joshua Pacio, Stamp Fairtex, and Tawanchai in his career so far.

On the non-MMA side of things, he interviewed WWE superstar Matt Riddle in 2021 and his question about Roman Reigns elicited an interesting answer which was widely covered by outlets like Sportskeeda and Cultaholic Wrestling's YouTube channel. He has also interviewed NBA stars Dwight Howard, Nick Young, Andre Roberson, Shabazz Muhammad, Jason Williams and Brian Scalabrine plus Filipino women's volleyball star Alyssa Valdez.

Karl ensures to double-check facts before using them in articles, and reads up on potential topics for pieces a day before. In his off time, he likes to play video games, and keep up with basketball and pro wrestling.

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Edited by Anurag Mitra