Nico Carrillo believes that patience is a virtue and he'll gladly wait for his chance to fight Superlek Kiatmoo9.
'King of the North' will no longer face 'The Kicking Machine' at ONE 170 after the two-sport kingpin was forced to withdraw due to a knee injury.
While missing his shot against arguably the pound-for-pound greatest striker in the world stings, Carrillo believes he's still destined to cross paths with the bantamweight Muay Thai world champion.
The Scottish slugger said in an exclusive ONE Championship interview:
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"It's inevitable that I'll become king. This is just another chapter to tell in my story. In order for me to become the undisputed champion, I had to take the hardest road to get there."
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Meanwhile, Nico Carrillo already has a new opponent booked, as he'll face No.5-ranked contender Nabil Anane for the interim bantamweight Muay Thai crown.
The victor, of course, will face the mighty Superlek in a unification bout once the Thai superstar heals.
For Carrillo, the delay will only make his inevitable showdown with Superlek all the much sweeter.
ONE 170 will emanate from Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand on Jan. 24. The full event is available via watch.onefc.com.
Nico Carrillo lauds Nabil Anane for stepping in on short notice
Nabil Anane was already preparing to face Kiamran Nabati at ONE 170 up until an opportunity opened up.
A chance to claim 26 pounds of gold is indeed too good to pass up. However, he must first vanquish a rampaging monster, with four wins in as many finishes in the home of martial arts.
Speaking to ONE, Nico Carrillo praised the Algerian star for stepping up to the plate.
"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!"
