Shadow Vs. Nico Carrillo: 4 Keys To Victory In Interim Featherweight Muay Thai World Title Fight At ONE Fight Night 40
The co-main event of ONE Fight Night 40: Buntan vs. Hemetsberger II on Prime Video will crown the ONE Interim Featherweight Muay Thai World Champion, as Thai technical powerhouse Shadow Singha Mawynn battles Scottish knockout artist Nico “King of the North” Carrillo for 26 pounds of gold.
This Friday, February 13, in U.S. primetime, two of the division’s most dangerous strikers will collide at Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand. The winner will also get first dibs at ONE Featherweight Muay Thai World Champion Tawanchai PK Saenchai after he recovers from a broken leg in a unification bout expected later this year.
These are each fighter’s biggest keys to victory when all eyes turn toward the iconic arena this weekend.
#1 Shadow’s Right Body Kick
Shadow must establish his signature weapon early to control distance and accumulate devastating damage over five rounds.
The Thai technician’s right body kick represents his most reliable path to victory. In fact, his mastery of range and timing allows him to land this strike almost at will and, even when partially blocked, it scores points and inflicts accumulating damage that can break opponents down.
The technique becomes particularly effective at keeping aggressive fighters like Carrillo at the end of his strikes, outside the dangerous range where the Scot’s power punches and elbows become threats. Against Hassan Vahdanirad at ONE Friday Fights 100, Shadow’s persistent body kicks forced stance switches and opened up finishing opportunities.
The sustained body attack also creates tactical advantages beyond simple point scoring. Once opponents begin protecting their midsection with higher guards or backing away to avoid the kick, Shadow can shift his attacks to low kicks or drive his powerful right hand through the opening.
His highlight-reel head kick knockout of Erik Hehir at ONE Friday Fights 58 demonstrated what happens when rivals become too focused on defending the body. The key is landing the kick cleanly, then immediately moving offline to avoid counter opportunities, forcing Carrillo to chase him rather than setting his feet for power shots.
#2 Carrillo’s Ring Control
Carrillo must dominate center ring and systematically drive Shadow toward the ropes where his finishing power becomes overwhelming.
The Scottish powerhouse has proven devastatingly effective at imposing his will through intelligent ring generalship. Rather than rushing forward recklessly, he stalks opponents patiently, cuts off angles with his footwork, and methodically forces them into compromising positions against the ropes or in corners.
Against Luke “The Chef” Lessei at ONE Fight Night 37, Carrillo constantly applied pressure until the American had nowhere left to retreat, then unleashed the finishing combinations that forced the stoppage. This calculated approach maximizes his power while minimizing the counters that technical fighters can land on aggressive opponents.
Once Carrillo traps opponents, his finishing rate becomes exceptional. In those positions, his clubbing right hand and vicious left hooks to the body land with full power while opponents have limited space to evade or circle away. His ability to catch kicks and use them to turn opponents into corners adds another dimension to his ring control.
Against legendary Sitthichai “Killer Kid” Sitsongpeenong at ONE Fight Night 30, Carrillo’s patient pressure eventually created the angles needed for the body shots that secured the knockout. If he can replicate this systematic approach against Shadow, the Thai striker’s movement advantages become nullified.
#3 Shadow’s Low Kicks
The former Rajadamnern Stadium World Champion must target Carrillo’s legs with the powerful low kicks that have proven capable of slowing even the most relentless pressure fighters.
Shadow dedicates an entire 10-minute pad work round solely to low kicks during every training session, and this specialized focus has made the technique one of his most reliable weapons. His low kicks carry exceptional power and can rapidly compromise an opponent’s stance and mobility. This becomes crucial against Carrillo, who has shown vulnerability to leg attacks throughout his ONE career.
Nong-O nearly finished him with low kicks at ONE Friday Fights 46 that left the Scot visibly compromised, and Lessei forced him to switch to southpaw stance with persistent calf kicks at ONE Fight Night 37. Even when Carrillo toughs out the damage and rallies to win, the accumulated leg damage limits his movement and power.
The timing of these low kicks becomes essential against an aggressive fighter. When Carrillo marches forward looking to close distance for his power punches and elbows, his weight commitment creates perfect openings for Shadow to chop at the lead leg. The technique can disrupt Carrillo’s rhythm, make him hesitant about pressing forward, and create the distance Shadow needs to operate at his preferred range.
If Shadow can establish his low kicks early and force Carrillo to respect them, it opens up his entire kicking arsenal and makes the body kicks even more effective.
#4 Carrillo’s Punching Power
“King of the North” must make Shadow respect his devastating hands to create openings for the finishing sequences that have defined his featherweight run.
Carrillo’s power has proven just as potent at featherweight as it was at bantamweight, possibly even more dangerous now that he no longer depletes himself making weight. His clubbing right hand remains his most lethal weapon, usually set up behind other punches and landing with frightening accuracy.
The cross has finished multiple opponents, and even a single clean connection can change the fight’s trajectory or end it entirely. His left hook to the body has also proven fight-ending, as Sitthichai discovered at ONE Fight Night 30 when Carrillo systematically broke him down before landing the finishing blow.
The power in Carrillo’s hands forces opponents into defensive thinking that creates opportunities throughout his arsenal. When rivals begin covering up to protect against his punches, he can swim his arms into clinch positions where his knees and elbows become available. If they try to maintain distance to avoid his boxing range, he can catch their kicks and use those moments to close distance or sweep them off balance.
Against Shadow, who absorbed heavy punishment in his kickboxing war with Liu Mengyang at ONE Friday Fights 126, Carrillo’s power could prove decisive. If he can land cleanly in exchanges, his finishing instinct is ruthless — he can either pick a single devastating shot or swarm with combinations of punches, elbows, and knees until the referee steps in.
