‘It’s An Even Killer Story’ – Nico Carrillo Details His Rocky Road To Second World Title Shot
For Nico “King of the North” Carrillo, the road back to a World Title opportunity has not followed a straight line, and that is precisely what makes it significant.
After falling short in his bid for the ONE Interim Bantamweight Muay Thai World Championship a year ago, the Scottish powerhouse has been given a second shot at the gold and finds himself on the verge of another career-defining moment.
On Friday, February 13, Carrillo will face Thailand’s Shadow Singha Mawynn for the ONE Interim Featherweight Muay Thai World Championship at ONE Fight Night 40 on Prime Video, which airs live in U.S. primetime from Bangkok’s iconic Lumpinee Stadium.
Rather than viewing his previous World Title loss as a total derailment, the “King of the North” believes it reshaped his journey in a way that made it more meaningful.
He said:
“It doesn’t change anything. It just makes it feel sweeter for me. In the end, it’s to look back and tell people how epic [the story is] because it’s amazing coming up on ONE Championship, winning every fight, and then just winning the title. Yeah, that would have been an amazing thing.
“But I think it’s an even killer story that I’d done that – got to the pinnacle, fell off, had to restart, and do it all over again to prove to people that as long as you don’t give up and have a goal, and chase it with a relentless effort, that you can make things happen. But as long as you don’t quit.”
Carrillo’s first crack at ONE World Title gold came against Thai-Algerian skyscraper Nabil Anane in the bantamweight ranks in January 2025.
The stoppage loss, however, forced him to reassess not only the result, but the weight class and approach that best suited him.
Instead of rushing back into the ONE Bantamweight Muay Thai World Title conversation, the 27-year-old Glasgow native returned to featherweight – a division where he felt the healthiest, strongest, and most complete as a fighter.
That decision paid off immediately. Since moving back up a weight class, Carrillo has looked reinvigorated and knocked out elite opponents, including seven-time Muay Thai and Kickboxing World Champion Sitthichai “Killer Kid” Sitsongpeenong and American standout Luke “The Chef” Lessei.
Each performance reinforced that his World Championship ambitions were far from over, with Carrillo maintaining a 100 percent finishing rate through six victories in the world’s largest martial arts organization.
The Scottish warrior said:
“It’s a cool story to tell. But it didn’t just go all plain sailing the first time, and I did have to go through a bit of a rocky thing. A shaky moment. Back to the bottom of the mountain, climb up again. So for me, I think it’s even sweeter, and I won’t miss it this time.”
Carrillo Leans On Discipline And Perspective
Beyond redemption, Nico Carrillo believes his mindset has evolved since his first World Title opportunity last year. However, he feels his mentality has been shaped more by experience than urgency.
The loss to Nabil Anane was not just a competitive setback, but a moment that forced him to reflect on everything.
For the Scottish destroyer, it became a reminder that chasing gold requires sustainability as much as ambition.
That shift has been reflected in how he now prepares for Shadow Singha Mawynn and the ONE Interim Featherweight Muay Thai World Title bout that awaits him at ONE Fight Night 40 on February 13.
He said:
“Listen, motivation is crap. Motivation comes and it’s gone in the blink of an eye. Motivation’s nothing. It’s discipline that keeps me going. It’s consistency that keeps me going. Motivation is there one day, gone the next.
“It’s the discipline that gets you up out of bed. It’s the discipline that gets you in the gym. It’s the discipline that gets you through the sessions. So, I ain’t a motivated person. I’m a disciplined person.”
That clarity has extended beyond training and into how Carrillo now views the journey itself. What once felt like a singular pursuit has become something broader, shaped by perspective gained through loss and rebuilding.
The setback that once defined a moment in his career ultimately reframed what success looks like and who it is shared with.
For Carrillo, who married Aimee McElhinney last June, the World Title itself carries a meaning forged through difficulty. If he captures interim gold at ONE Fight Night 40, he sees it as a shared victory rather than an individual one.
The “King of the North” said:
“If I win this belt, it’s a victory for everyone who’s been involved in this journey. It’s a victory for my wife, my coach, my team, sponsors from years ago – everyone who believed in this dream. This moment is for all of us.
“The World Title represents what I stand for, and that’s hard work. That’s what this journey’s been. It’s been nothing easy. It’s been difficult. And when I get the gold over my shoulder, it’s a message to everybody and anybody that hard work pays off.”
