ONE 170: Nico Carrillo Confident of Knocking Out Nabil Anane in Quest For Interim Bantamweight Muay Thai Crown

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On Friday, 24 January, Scottish knockout machine Nico Carrillo will do everything in his power to achieve his dream of becoming a ONE World Champion. In the co-main event of ONE 170, the #2-ranked contender will fight #5-ranked Nabil Anane for the ONE Interim Bantamweight Muay Thai World Title.

The sold-out crowd at Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand, provides the perfect stage for his coronation. Initially, he was scheduled to challenge Superlek Kiatmoo9 for the lineal bantamweight crown, but an injury forced the current king to withdraw. Then, Anane stepped in for the interim bout.

However, "King of the North" remains unfazed by these last-minute changes, and his preparations are as smooth as ever. While he acknowledges that Anane is in fine form and respects him, Carrillo is determined to score his fifth consecutive finish in ONE.

"(Anane is) definitely a worthy challenger. He's on a crazy trajectory right now, beating everyone put in front of him in ONE Championship, but I'm going to knock him out," Carrillo said.

"He's good, but I don't think he'd be as good as he is if he didn't have his height advantage. Nonetheless, he is good. I don't really have a bad thing to say about him. He's a humble, hardworking guy, so there's nothing but respect from my side."

The 26-year-old has been a man on a mission since he joined ONE Championship. He made his successful debut at ONE Friday Fights 13, knocking out Furkan Karabag. Following that victory, he demolished three Thai veterans, including the legendary Nong-O Hama.

Carrillo's confidence is sky high, and there is good reason for that. The Deachkalek Muay Thai Academy representative is confident in his abilities to become a ONE World Champion. That said, "King of the North" predicts a bout filled with violence.

"It's inevitable that I'll become king. This is just another chapter to tell in my story. I had to fight the number one, then defend my number one spot. [I] was meant to fight for the title. My prediction is violence," the Scottish slugger said.