ONE Fight Night 23: “Represent The Thai People” – Saemapetch Wants To Defend Honor By Thwarting Carrillo

Add as a preferred source on Google

When #4-ranked bantamweight Muay Thai contender Saemapetch Fairtex is motivated, he's one of the most dangerous strikers in the world. And when he enters Bangkok, Thailand's Lumpinee Stadium this weekend, he has plenty of reasons to be fired up.

The 29-year-old meets top-ranked Nico Carrillo in the co-main event of ONE Fight Night 23: Ok vs. Rasulov this Saturday, 6 July. There, Saemapetch will have the chance to defend the honor of Thailand against the Scot.

In his last two outings inside Lumpinee Stadium, Carrillo battered former divisional king Nong-O Hama and legendary elbow attacker Muangthai PK Saenchai in less than two rounds. So Saemapetch has all the motivation he needs to stop "King of the North" in his tracks.

"I'm so pumped for this fight to be able to represent the Thai people in the ring at ONE Fight Night 23. No matter what happens, I will do my best to make Thai fans proud of me," Saemapetch said.

"Nico has almost everything. He is a foreign fighter with good Muay Thai skills. I still can't find his weakness, but maybe he'll reveal it in the ring. When I see his style up close, I will find the best way to approach him."

Despite being just shy of 30, the wealth of knowledge that Saemapetch has accrued over his career is astonishing. The Fairtex Training Center product has almost 150 fights to his name - 100 more than his counterpart this weekend.

That experience will be invaluable against a fighter as deadly as Carrillo. And the Thai star plans to utilize his veteran skill set to its fullest extent to knock the top contender off his perch.

"My experience as a veteran Thai boxer will help a lot in this fight, like how to defend or counter," Saemapetch said. "But even though he doesn't have as many fights as me, in the ring, with 4-ounce small gloves, the first who makes a mistake can be knocked down. It's up to me to neutralize his game."