Nico Carrillo says small-gloves Muay Thai is helping ONE Championship's popularity rise in the UK

ONE bantamweight Muay Thai star Nico Carrillo credits ONE Championship's use of 4-ounce gloves in the 'Art of Eight Limbs' for the promotion's rapidly growing fanbase in the United Kingdom.

During an interview on the Leather'd Podcast, 'The King of The North' shared:

"It should be. I feel it should be far further on. It's a very exciting sport. It should be further on than it is. But it is moving forward and there's only positives in that. For example, speaking to people now, I feel more and more people know what ONE Championship is, and I don't know if it's because they know me and because I'm fighting on ONE Championship and they follow me."

He added:

"I don't know if that's why or like it's just becoming more popular in the UK. Whatever one it is, I'm happy that it's getting the attention it deserves."

Watch the entire interview:

Carrillo introduced himself to fans of the world's largest martial arts promotion by finishing all four of his opponents since debuting at ONE Friday Fights 13 in April 2023.

He will look to validate his hard work by winning the ONE bantamweight Muay Thai world championship from ONE double-champ Superlek Kiatmoo9 at ONE 170 on Jan. 24, 2025, inside the Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand.

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Nico Carrillo stoked to fight Superlek at ONE 170

Nico Carrillo is raring to find out what makes Superlek, who also holds the ONE flyweight kickboxing crown, one of the premier strikers in the world at ONE 170.

The second-ranked ONE bantamweight Muay Thai competitor said in the same interview on the Leather'd Podcast:

"But then with Superlek, he's never been stopped in like 300-plus fights. He's never been knocked out. He has got the number one ranking for pound-for-pound striker on the planet right now."