Scotlands Nico Carrillo signs with ONE

UK Muay Thai standout Nico Carrillo has announced that he has been signed by ONE Championship.

Carrillo, 24, has been a staple of the UK Muay Thai scene for a number of years now, gaining more and more recognition over the past 4 years as a result of an impressive 11 fight win streak.

Wins over the likes of Mo Abdurahman and fan favourite Thai, Saeksan Or. Kwanmuang, have seen the Scotsman emerge as one of the most promising talents on the striking circuit.

Most recently, Carrillo has realised two titles in as many fights, with unanimous decision wins over Alessio Malatesta and Pasquale Amoroso seeing him claim the WMO Super Welterweight and Welterweight titles respectively.

It was only 4 years ago that Nico committed to Muay Thai as a viable career, quitting his job and dedicating all of his time to the cause, with the UK prospect looking to replicate the success that fellow UK ONE alum Liam Harrison and Jonathan Haggerty have realised in Asia.

With a record of 23-3-1, Carrillo may not have a record as expansive as the ones seen from his Thai counterparts, but it certainly hasn’t mattered so far. The addition of the regular ONE Lumpinee events in a bid to push the sport of Muay Thai gives Nico even more avenues than ever to make his mark on the world stage and build up his resume.

Typically fighting at around the 65kg mark, it looks like Nico will fall into the shark tank that is ONE’s Bantamweight division, currently headed by the seemingly unstoppable Nong-O Gaiyanghadao. The divisions belt will be on the line on April, 29th when Nong-O defends his title at the Lumpinee Stadium against UK standout Jonathan “The General” Haggerty.

In an interview with Fight Record in November of last year, Nico looked ahead at the prospect of joining ONE and had the likes of Rodlek and Kulabdam as the names of potential opponents he’d like upon his arrival, a baptism by fire if you will. With a bulletproof mindset and a proven skillset that is still blossoming, it seems that Bantamweight summit isn’t very far away at all.

Does Nico Carrillo continue his fine form with a 2023 to remember? Be sure to let us know what you think!