‘My Skills Can Beat Him’ – Sitthichai Outlines Path To Victory Against Nico Carrillo At ONE Fight Night 30
Decorated Thai veteran Sitthichai “Killer Kid” Sitsongpeenong is ready to take out one of Muay Thai’s fastest rising stars in U.S. primetime this Friday, April 4.
That night, live from Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, the eight-time Muay Thai and Kickboxing World Champion will square off against Scottish knockout artist “King of the North” Nico Carrillo in a pivotal featherweight Muay Thai clash at ONE Fight Night 30: Kryklia vs. Knowles on Prime Video.
Both men find themselves at a crossroads in their respective careers.
In one corner is Sitthichai, a veteran of well over 150 career fights, including 11 thrilling battles in ONE. The 33-year-old comes into the contest as the #4-ranked featherweight Muay Thai contender, but after falling in his most recent outing to Shadow Singha Mawynn last December, he’s extra motivated to prove he still belongs among the best of the best.
Carrillo, meanwhile, enjoyed a meteoric rise through the bantamweight Muay Thai division, starching the likes of former long-reigning titleholder Nong-O Hama and former Lumpinee Stadium Muay Thai World Champion “Elbow Zombie” Muangthai PK Saenchai.
The 26-year-old ultimately came up short in his bid for the ONE Interim Bantamweight Muay Thai World Title this past January, and that prompted him to move back up to his more natural weight division and make a run at the featherweight gold.
But Sitthichai isn’t about to be anybody’s stepping stone. If anything, the veteran intends to make a statement in his match with “King of the North.”
The Thai said:
“The matchup between me and Nico, at first, I was surprised [that it was offered]. Then, I was happy because it shows that they still see me as worthy of fighting a rising star like him. In fact, I’ve had to fight a lot of rising stars recently. I am happy to fight a strong and tough striker like Nico. I want to prove that my skills can beat him.”
Sitthichai has done his homework on Carrillo, and he is quick to credit the Scot for his show-stopping power and ruthless finishing abilities.
However, “Killer Kid” noticed that in his rival’s 2023 clash with Nong-O, he struggled to deal with the Thai’s punishing leg kicks.
The Sitsongpeenong Muay Thai Camp representative said:
“Carrillo’s strength is his destructive power. His left and right hooks are deadly, plus with small gloves, I can’t make any mistakes or I’ll go to sleep.
“His weakness is probably his legs. From his fight with Nong-O, I believe that his legs might not be able to take heavy hits. So, I have to focus on attacking his legs the most because that’s where his weakness is.”
Despite his foe’s reputation as one of Muay Thai’s most terrifying strikers — and a man many have pegged as a future ONE World Champion — Sitthichai isn’t letting the hype get to him.
With his versatile skills and savvy fight IQ, “Killer Kid” knows that the only thing that matters is how each athlete performs on event night.
Sitthichai added:
“Many people think that I have no chance with Nico. I want them to find out on fight day. Because in the ring, everything is decided by timing. Whoever has a better fight will win. It’s a fight between two people in the ring. Criticism has no effect there. I will take those criticisms as motivation for me to not give up easily.”
Sitthichai Hungry For ONE World Title Opportunity
Clearly, Sitthichai Sitsongpeenong is motivated to prove himself against a rising young talent like Nico Carrillo, but beyond that, he knows a victory at ONE Fight Night 30 would do wonders for his World Title aspirations.
“Killer Kid” isn’t looking past the challenge ahead of him, and he is focused on protecting his coveted spot in the top-five rankings.
Sitthichai said:
“I am #4 ranked in the featherweight [Muay Thai] division. I want to maintain this ranking for as long as possible because I have been in this ranking for quite a long time, so I don’t want anyone to take it from me. It’s a sacred zone for me because I can take a shot for gold. If I want to become a champion, I have to maintain my ranking for as long as possible.”
Sitthichai boasts a trophy case that’s bursting at the seams. As a former Lumpinee Stadium Muay Thai World Champion and multiple-time Glory Kickboxing World Champion, he has one mountain left to climb — and it’s the highest summit in the martial arts world.
For him, winning the ONE World Title remains the ultimate goal, and he is fully aware that capturing 26 pounds of gold could instantly change his life.
“Killer Kid” added:
“As I get older, I want to be a ONE World Champion at least once in my life because ONE is the biggest organization. If someone becomes a champion in ONE, they’re considered a superstar. Everyone wants to be at that pinnacle, so this fight is very important.”
