“Please give me the shot at gold” - Nico Carrillo believes he has earned every right for next crack at the belt

Following another impressive knockout victory in his recent fight, No. 1 bantamweight Muay Thai contender Nico Carrillo reiterated his call to be given a shot at the world title against reigning divisional king Jonathan Haggerty.

The 'King of the North' rolled to his fourth victory in as many matches in ONE Championship by stopping Thai veteran Saemapetch Fairtex by TKO in the second round of their clash at ONE Fight Night 23: Ok vs Rasulov on Prime Video on July 5 in Thailand.

Impressive was the victory that it also earned him a $50,000 performance bonus from ONE Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong.

During the in-ring interview following his victory over Saemapetch, Nico Carrillo underscored once again that he deserves to have that long-sought title shot against Haggerty just as he vowed to continue pursuing it until he realizes his goal.

The 25-year-old Scottish knockout artist said:

"Thank you so much Mr. Chatri [for the performance bonus], you are truly changing lives out here. And please give me the shot at gold. Just yeah, words escape how happy I am. Thank you so much, and please, give me the title shot next. Don't make me hold my position anymore. Don't make me fight these top guys before even getting the gold."

He added:

"I have a message for everybody out there, anybody struggling or can't get a break in life: keep going. You don't know how close you are. You never fail if you never quit."

Nico Carrillo made his ONE Championship debut in April last year. All of his four victories to date have come by way of knockout, making him one of the most feared fighters in the Muay Thai lane.

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Nico Carrillo dominates Saemapetch at ONE Fight Night 23

Nico Carrillo delivered on his promise of a fiery finish at ONE Fight Night 23 on July 5 by dominating Saemapetch in their scheduled three-rounder that culminated in a second-round TKO finish.

The Glasgow, Scotland native had his troubles initially against the defense of the Thai veteran but when he figured it all out, he was not to be stopped.

It all peaked in the second round when Nico Carrillo pummeled Saemapetch with a variety of strikes that the latter just could not handle, dropping his opponent to the canvas three times on the way to the TKO victory.

The win earned the 'King of the North' another $50,000 performance bonus from ONE Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong. It was also the second straight win by Carrillo over a noted Muay Thai veteran after his victory over former ONE bantamweight champion Nong-O Hama last December.