Scottish knockout artist Nico “King of the North” Carrillo has finally achieved his years-long dream of becoming a ONE World Champion.
The 27-year-old battled Thai standout Shadow Mavinn in the co-main event of ONE Fight Night 40 on Friday, February 13 at Bangkok’s historic Lumpinee Arena. After five hard-fought rounds, the 27-year-old earned a unanimous decision victory and captured the ONE Interim Featherweight Muay Thai World Championship.
Shadow started off strong, using his signature leg kicks and punches to test the Scottish challenger. However, as the round wore on, Carrillo picked up the pace, methodically breaking down the 26-year-old Thai star with powerful punches and relentless forward pressure.
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For years, Carrillo imagined himself wearing ONE Championship gold, picturing the moment countless times during training and during long flights to fight camps. That mental preparation made Friday’s reality feel surreal, even with the belt wrapped around his waist.
In an interview with onefc.com after his win, Carrillo reflected on his experience achieving a lifelong dream. The newly crowned interim king shared:
“It feels good. It feels like reality now. I’ve been imagining it for so long, so it’s nice for it to become a reality.”
Years of sacrifice, training and frustration culminated in this moment at Lumpinee Stadium.
Carrillo’s game plan against Shadow shows the evolution of his fight IQ since joining the largest martial arts organization in the world.
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Rather than engage in the heated tussle that characterized his early performances, the Scotland striker implemented a rigorous game plan that neutralized the Shadow’s most dangerous weapon.
“King in the North” details:
“The game plan was to hurt and move and not let the shadows attack my legs. We knew that was his main focus the whole game. The first thing he threw was a low kick – I was nowhere to be seen. We knew that’s what he was going to do. We knew he was going to try a low kick and then kick like he always does. I knew I had to watch my elbows when I got into boxing range.
“I was focused on not rushing to the finish line right away. If it comes, it comes. But we trained for five rounds. As you can see, I was in great shape. I’ve never run five rounds. [as] Work hard like me, be fresh like me. No one trains harder than me. “
As well as flawless execution, Carrillo developed a newfound respect for Shadow’s tenacity and willingness to stand and trade despite the Scottish forward’s clear strength advantage.
The Thai sensation absorbed the punishment that would have crushed a weaker player and kept fighting until the final seconds.
When asked about Shadow’s performance, Carrillo expressed heartfelt praise for his opponent’s heart:
“I’m actually surprised. I think he really, really tried to stand with me 100 percent. So, hats off to him. I’ve always liked him as a person, he’s a great guy. But now, as a fighter, I think he’s very strong.”
Carrillo focuses on the present, unification battle with Tawanchai awaits
Nico Carrillo’s immediate goal is to have a title unification fight with reigning ONE Featherweight Muay Thai World Champion Tawanchai PK Saenchai, who is currently recovering from injury.
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This fight is the biggest opportunity of Carrillo’s career – to prove he is the undisputed best featherweight Muay Thai fighter in the world by defeating the dominant champion in the division.
However, the Scotland striker remains focused on celebrating his achievement against the Shadows rather than looking ahead to the challenges ahead.
He said:
“I didn’t think about it. I wasn’t focused on that. I was just focused on the shadow.”
In addition to the professional accomplishment, Friday’s win also has deep personal meaning for Carrillo. His wife traveled to Bangkok to witness his coronation, fulfilling a promise he made years ago that he would provide her with a good life during his fighting career.
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Carrillo’s emotions surfaced when discussing what the victory meant to his family.
“King of the North” concluded:
“It was my dream to have my wife here. I told my wife that one day I was going to let her quit her job so she wouldn’t have to work anymore. That was the dream today, and one day, it came true.”
Nico Carrillo Shadow Singha Mawynn ONE Fight Night 40 17
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