At ONE Fight Night 23: Ok vs. Rasulov on Prime Video, #1-ranked bantamweight Muay Thai contender Nico “King of the North” Carrillo will look to continue his meteoric rise through ONE when he takes on #4-ranked Saemapetch Fairtex.

That high-stakes bantamweight Muay Thai tilt will go down live in U.S. primetime this Friday, July 5 at Bangkok’s legendary Lumpinee Boxing Stadium. Let’s have a look at what Nico Carrillo thinks about his opponent.

Nico Carrillo’s rise to contention in ONE Championship muay thai

After just three fights in the world’s largest martial arts organization, Carrillo has done plenty to establish himself as a true World Title contender, knocking out respected Thai veteran “Elbow Zombie” Muangthai PK Saenchai and former long-reigning titleholder Nong-O Hama.

Those impressive victories have earned him the top spot in the talent-laden bantamweight Muay Thai rankings. According to the hard-hitting Scot, those wins have also put current ONE Bantamweight Muay Thai World Champion Jonathan “The General” Haggerty on notice.

Brimming with confidence, Carrillo explained where he sees himself in the World Title pecking order, “Haggerty knows I’m the hardest fight in this division. The reason he’s not saying my name is because he doesn’t want to build a fight with me. He knows it will be the end of him. That’s the honest truth.At this point, I feel like I’m the best fighter in the world. I’m the most hard-working. All I need is for ONE to make the right matchups, put me on the platform, and let me prove it because I have done that so far, every single time.

Carrillo’s path to championship opportunity

While a win at ONE Fight Night 23 will likely secure a World Title shot for Carrillo, who he would fight for gold remains to be seen. That’s because Haggerty is set to defend his belt against flyweight kickboxing king Superlek Kiatmoo9 this September at ONE 168: Denver.

Whether it’s “The General” or Superlek, CaNico Carrillorrillo is sure that a victory against the ultra-tough Saemapetch will essentially guarantee a crack at 26 pounds of gold.“When I beat Saemapetch and you look at my resume and see I’ve beaten fighters like him, Nong-O, Seksan, and others, the only thing that says I’m not the best in the world is a golden strap.”

He further added, “It’s just a case of me holding my position. I beat Saemapetch and then I’m really undeniable after that. I am certain that I should get the winner of Haggerty versus Superlek.”