“It’s a sacred zone” - Sitthichai determined to do whatever it takes to retain his spot in featherweight Muay Thai rankings

Sitthichai Sitsongpeenong isn't letting anyone take his coveted seat in the featherweight Muay Thai ranks.

The Thai legend is set to solidify his hold of the number five spot in the featherweight Muay Thai ladder when he takes on Nico Carrillo at the stacked ONE Fight Night 30 card on Friday at the iconic Lumpinee Stadium.

In an interview with ONE Championship, Sitthichai said he's not about to give up his spot on the table since it puts him in a prime position to contend for Tawanchai PK Saenchai's ONE featherweight Muay Thai world title.

The Thai legend said:

"It's a sacred zone for me because I can take a shot for gold. If I want to become a champion, I have to maintain my ranking for as long as possible."

Sitthichai is one of the most decorated Thai fighters of all time, having won gold across multiple organizations.

Before arriving in ONE Championship in 2020, 'Killer Kid' collected gold titles under Lumpinee Stadium, Glory, and Kunlun.

He's since established himself as one of the most fearsome strikers in the promotion, with a stellar mark of six wins across Muay Thai and kickboxing.

Carrillo, meanwhile, returns to the division where he started his ONE Championship career.

Debuting in April 2023, the Scottish knockout machine mauled Furkan Karabag in April 2023 before moving down a weight class to bantamweight.

Carrillo then collected three more wins in the 145-pound division at the expense of Muangthai PK Saenchai, former ONE bantamweight Muay Thai world champion Nong-O Hama, and Saemapetch Fairtex.

ONE Fight Night 30 is available live and free to all Prime Video subscribers in the United States and Canada.

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Nico Carrillo marvels at Sitthichai's pedigree ahead of ONE Fight Night 30

Sitthichai Sitsongpeenong is one of the most respected fighters in martial arts, and Nico Carrillo isn't unaware to that reputation.

In a interview with Bloody Elbow, 'King of the North' marveled at Sitthichai's resume including the Thai star's list of opponents throughout his career:

"But yeah, he is a legend. He is a legend. Absolute legend. And he's thrown with some of the best kickboxers of the modern era for the last ten years."

Sitthichai had memorable duels against ONE featherweight kickboxing world champion Superbon, Chingiz Allazov, Marat Grigorian, and Masaaki Noiri.

The 33-year-old is also the only man to have beaten Tawanchai in Muay Thai under ONE Championship.