‘As Beautiful And As Perfect’ – Nico Carrillo Targets Complete Performance In World Title Fight Against Shadow
Nico “King of the North” Carrillo‘s career has long been defined by what his explosive fists can do in the ring, but as another World Title opportunity approaches, the Scottish knockout artist insists this next fight will reveal a different layer of his game.
On Friday, February 13, live in U.S. primetime from world-famous Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, Carrillo will face off against Thailand’s Shadow Singha Mawynn for the ONE Interim Featherweight Muay Thai World Championship.
With the coveted gold at stake, Carrillo believes this important matchup demands more than just brute strength.
The Deachkalek Muay Thai Academy affiliate enters the contest as one of the most feared finishers in ONE Championship, having ended all six of his victories on the global stage inside the distance. Yet despite his killer reputation, Carrillo says his training has been focused on refinement rather than reliance on power.
He said:
“Just being all-round good at Muay Thai, because I can bring my power out in any fight and put anybody away, but sometimes it’s not prettier than that, so I want to make this fight look, for the fans and for me watching it back, as beautiful and as perfect as I can, without having to resort to my power.
“Rather, when the shot’s there, it’ll be there.”
Carrillo admits he chased knockouts too aggressively early in his ONE tenure, trusting his power to solve every problem.
While that approach produced thrilling results, including stoppage victories over seven-time Muay Thai and kickboxing World Champion Sitthichai Sitsongpeenong and Turkish standout Furkan Karabag, it wasn’t exactly pretty.
Against a composed and technically sharp opponent like Shadow, however, Carrillo believes patience and structure will be just as important as unbridled aggression.
He said:
“Shadow’s just all-round good. He’s good at everything. He was obviously a Rajadamnern Champion before he came to ONE. So, he’s very accomplished.
“He had a bit of a rocky start when he came to ONE Championship, and then found his feet, and he’s just been on the same kind of trajectory as myself. So, yeah, no bad words to say about Shadow.”
That acknowledgement has reshaped how the 27-year-old has approached his preparation, especially after the setback he suffered in his first World Championship opportunity against Nabil Anane for the ONE interim bantamweight Muay Thai belt in January last year.
Rather than pushing himself to the brink of exhaustion in every session, Carrillo says this camp has been defined by calculated work, particularly in areas that can be overlooked when momentum builds quickly.
He said:
“I would say I’m training smarter. I always train hard, in every camp. However, some camps I ran myself into the ground. Some camps I perhaps neglected certain parts of training, like having full days just working on defense, because my mindset is always go, go, go. Always need to push myself to extremes.
“This camp, we started really far out. Some days we’re not going as hard, and we’re just working on defensive stuff and drills. So yeah, I’d say smarter, definitely.”
Carrillo Keeps Focus Narrow As Muay Thai Gold Comes Into View
The winner of Nico Carrillo versus Shadow Singha Mawynn in the upcoming ONE Interim Featherweight Muay Thai World Title bout will earn the right to face reigning divisional king Tawanchai PK Saenchai, who is currently sidelined due to injury.
Despite the broader narratives surrounding the matchup, Carrillo insists his focus has never shifted toward specific opponents or personal grudges.
For him, the objective has always remained the same. He wants to compete for the gold, regardless of whose shoulders the belt is draped over.
That clarity, Carrillo says, allows him to prepare himself without distraction, keeping his attention locked on execution.
The Scottish knockout machine said:
“For me, it’s never an opposition. For me, it’s just whoever holds the gold. That’s always my goal.
“I made that very clear from the start. I’ve never had hatred for anyone. I’ve never wanted to fight a certain person. I just wanted to fight for gold, and that’s still the case.”
Carrillo’s confidence is built on consistency. Across six wins in ONE, every victory has ended before the final bell, with the Scottish powerhouse needing just over 30 minutes of total fight time to dispatch all of his opponents.
Still, he believes chasing statistics or expectations can be dangerous, especially against an opponent as seasoned and as versatile as Shadow. The Thai striking sensation is on a roll himself, unbeaten in his last seven Muay Thai outings, with his two most recent victories coming by way of finish.
Instead, Carrillo says the goal is control — allow the fight to unfold naturally and trust the preparation he has put in.
“King of the North” offered:
“The fans can expect me, the ‘King of the North’ to get his hand raised.
“And for the beautiful little story I talked about to be completed — and then a new story begins after that.”
