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Scottish slugger Nico Carrillo is shooting for the stars on the global stage, and he has every right to do so after an explosive year in the promotion.
The fighter nicknamed 'King of the North' became one of the standout warriors on ONE Friday Fights, the promotion's weekly offering inside the Lumpinee Boxing Stadium, with a trio of highlight-reel wins to position himself as the top-ranked contender in the bantamweight Muay Thai division.
Though he would have loved to usher in the new year with a golden opportunity at Jonathan Haggerty's crown, the Glasgow native has been forced to wait for his chance after 'The General' defended his strap against Brazilian star Felipe Lobo at ONE Fight Night 19 this past February.
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Despite the delay, Nico Carrillo simply sees it as more time for him to get himself prepared for an inevitable showdown against the promotion's hottest two-sport world champion.
Speaking to the South China Morning Post, the 25-year-old said:
"I'm not out here trying to find an opponent's name, nothing like that. I am there to be the champion and get gold around my waist. That's all I care about."
Watch the full interview here:
Nico Carrillo only wants Haggerty for his next bout inside the Circle
While the division is stacked to the brim with some of the best names in Muay Thai, Nico Carrillo thinks he has done enough to gain a shot at Haggerty's prized possession.
Who can blame him, after all? 'King of the North' has gone from strength to strength since opening his ONE account in April last year, a brilliant run capped off with a second-round KO of former kingpin Nong-O Hama at ONE Friday Fights 46.
As such, if he has it his way, the Scottish slugger believes the next fight to make should be a battle between two of the most skilled warriors in ONE Championship. In the same interview, he concluded:
"Haggerty's won. So he's the one with the gold. So, that's what I'm obsessing over right now. Like I said, I'm an all eggs in one basket kinda guy. One thing at a time. All my focus goes onto one thing at a time."
