Nico Carrillo has secured six of his seven Muay Thai wins under the ONE Championship banner via knockout, and he remains confident that his finishing power will still be as destructive in bigger kickboxing gloves.
The ONE featherweight Muay Thai world champion straps on the larger mitts for his debut in the sport against Chinese star Zhou Jiaqiang at ONE Fight Night 46, which takes place in Bangkok’s Lumpinee Stadium on Friday, August 14.
His ability to put opponents to sleep has been there for all to see throughout his near-perfect run in the organization. The Glaswegian has finished the likes of former ONE bantamweight Muay Thai world champion Nong-O Hama and the legendary Sitthichai Sitsongpeenong.
Many, however, believe the switch from four-ounce Muay Thai gloves to the larger kickboxing mitts could reduce his firepower. Carrillo begs to differ, though.
He told Fight Record exclusively:
“I cannot wait to go out there, show what I can do with these bigger gloves, and get things done early.”
Besides the confidence of adding another highlight-reel win to his 30-4 record, the Scotsman has genuinely enjoyed the temporary career pivot.
The 27-year-old says fight camp for this featherweight kickboxing battle has allowed him to be in a better groove than any of his previous Muay Thai training. He added:
“To be honest, a lot of it has been more free. I’ve really enjoyed it – being able to move without much restriction. Plus, we don’t have the small gloves on anymore. So, you don’t have to protect your face as much in such a strict stance. I’ve actually really enjoyed that aspect of it.”
Carrillo says he’s at his peak heading into kickboxing bow
The extra time to focus on combinations, movement, and attacks without the added layer of defensive adjustments from Muay Thai has him believing a career-defining performance could be on the cards.
The ONE world champion added:
“I’m bringing better eyes, better movement, and more confidence. Everything has been sharp this camp, and I can’t wait to put on another classic performance.”
Carrillo rarely likes to bite off more than he can chew, after all. He’s backed up every promise of his to put on a show throughout his tenure in the promotion, and this one should be no different at ONE Fight Night 46.
