"Clap and wait for my turn" - Nico Carrillo says he's genuinely happy for Jonathan Haggerty's rise in ONE Championship
Second-ranked ONE bantamweight Muay Thai contender Nico Carrillo could not help but applaud ONE bantamweight kickboxing king Jonathan Haggerty for his achievements in ONE Championship despite their heated rivalry.
'The King of the North' was asked whether he was a fan of Haggerty's work in a sit-down interview on the Leather'd Podcast, and he replied:
"I've always clapped for other people until it was my turn. That was and still is my mindset. I've never been envious of anybody. I always knew that I would get there, so I would just clap and wait for my turn."
Watch the entire interview below:
After many fiery callouts over the past year, ONE fans expected to see the Muay Thai stars settle their differences inside the circle.
However, 'The King of the North' has since softened his stance on Haggerty after the latter lost the ONE bantamweight Muay Thai world championship to flyweight kickboxing king Superlek Kiatmoo9 via knockout at ONE 168: Denver this past Sept. 6, inside the Ball Arena.
Carrillo is set to fight 'The Kicking Machine' for the 145-pound Muay Thai crown at ONE 170 on Jan. 24, 2025, inside the Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand.
Nico Carrillo clarifies rivalry with Jonathan Haggerty
Nico Carrillo cleared the air on where he stands with Jonathan Haggerty in the same interview with the Leather'd Podcast.
The Deachkalek Muay Thai Academy product explained why he is no longer pursuing a fight with Haggerty:
"No. Right now, not. I said this way before when Superlek jumped the queue, it was never about I want to fight Haggerty, I want to fight Haggerty. I know everybody wants to see that fight but it was never about that for me - it was the ONE gold. And it was always whoever has it [the ONE bantamweight Muay Thai world title] is where my full attention is on."