ONE Championship’s top-ranked bantamweight Muay Thai contender Nico Carrillo bet on himself when choosing to follow his dreams, and he is now on the cusp of superstardom. 

The hard-hitting Scottish striker is looking to continue his meteoric rise on the global stage when he takes on #4-ranked Saemapetch Fairtex in a bantamweight Muay Thai showdown at ONE Fight Night 23 on Friday, July 5, inside the Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.

Nico Carrillo narrates the story of how he entered the world of martial arts

Carrillo enjoyed relative success in the amateur ranks and the competitive professional Thai circuit. But while doing so, he had to continue working as an electrician to help make ends meet. 

However, knowing he had a greater destiny, the rising star decided to let go of his day job and chase greatness full-time as a martial artist. 

“The reason I quit my job was because I just felt I was destined for more. I believe everything is written already. And for me, I was never meant to be a 9-to-5 guy. I was put here to do something spectacular,” Carrillo told ONE in a recent interview. 

“I was meant to be my own person, and Muay Thai is the epitome of that. Every decision is on me.” 

His goal to be the best depended on nothing but himself, and he ran with it. “King of the North” went on to win 11 straight bouts and claim belts in ISKA, WBC, and the ICO, which put him on ONE Championship’s radar.

Carrillo’s gameplay at ONE Championship

Carrillo dismantled his first two opponents upon arrival in ONE, starting with Turkey’s Furkan Karabag in his debut at ONE Friday Fights 13 in April 2023 and then “Elbow Zombie” Muagthai PK Saenchai at ONE Friday Fights 22 two months later. 

His twin victories earned him a highly coveted US$100,000 contract, and he got the chance of a lifetime in his next bout. 

The 25-year-old took on former longtime bantamweight Muay Thai king Nong-O Hama at ONE Friday Fights 46 last December, and he shocked the world by putting him to sleep in the second round of their encounter to snatch the #1 contender position.

Leaving his life as an electrician has paid off massively for Carrillo. He was clearly bred to fight the best on the biggest stage of all, and he’ll have the opportunity to continue that quest against Saemapetch at ONE Fight Night 23.