ONE Championship’s top-ranked bantamweight Muay Thai contender Nico Carrillo doesn’t appreciate being overlooked, but he believes there is a legitimate reason for divisional king Jonathan Haggerty doing so.

“King of the North” is set to make his return to action when he takes on #4-ranked Saemapetch Fairtex on Friday, July 5, at ONE Fight Night 23 inside the iconic Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, and he’s got World Title dreams on his mind in the lead-up.

Nico Carrillo accuses Jonathan Haggerty of dodging a fight with him

As a professional, Nico Carrillo is fully focused on his upcoming bout, but he expressed frustration about Haggerty calling for a fight against fellow U.K. striker Liam “Hitman” Harrison instead of him in a recent interview with Sky Sports MMA Club.

“In my opinion, I don’t think he wants to put any eyes on that. He doesn’t want to say my name because he doesn’t want to build that fight with me because he knows it’ll be the end of him. He knows deep down that that will be the case,” Nico Carrillo said.

Nico Carrillo added, “He’s been telling people how he wants to be remembered as one of the greatest athletes in the division. But, look, when he fought Lobo, he was almost knocked out. And, myself, I’m known as the hardest hitter in the division. And after that fight, you can see, he never said my name again. Never.”

The top contender for the bantamweight Muay Thai title

“The General” is currently preoccupied with preparations for his blockbuster defense of the bantamweight Muay Thai crown against flyweight kickboxing king Superlek Kiatmoo9 at ONE 168: Denver in the U.S. in September.

However, ONE Championship is looking to host an event in Europe at some point, and a World Title battle between British stars like Haggerty and Harrison or Carrillo would be a logical option for the card. The pairing of Haggerty and a legend like Harrison would be an undeniable draw. But Carrillo’s standing in the division and continued success makes him difficult to ignore as the rightful challenger.

A win against Saemapetch at ONE Fight Night 23 will cement the Scottish star’s place as the top contender in the bantamweight Muay Thai division, which would make it hard for ONE to deny him the next shot at “The General.”