Denis Puric eager to see how ‘big boy’ Nico Carrillo fares at featherweight: “It was a good idea for him to go up”
Denis Puric is excited to see how Nico Carrillo fares in the featherweight division.
After suffering a brutal first-round knockout loss against Nabil Anane at ONE 170, 'The King of the North' announced that he'd be making the move up from bantamweight to featherweight later this year.
"I made the decision in that weight cut that even if I beat Nabil, I would have just vacated the title and let someone else fight Superlek because the weight cut was just absolutely tragic," Carrillo told the South China Morning Post.
While speaking with Sportskeeda MMA in an exclusive interview, Puric believes Carrillo made the right decision in moving up a weight class and is looking forward to seeing how the Scottish star handles himself against some of the division's biggest names.
"Yeah, he's a big kid. He's a big boy," Puric said. "I think it was a good idea for him to go up here and let's see what he can do in the featherweight ranks."
No official date has been announced for Nico Carrillo's highly anticipated return to the Circle in 2025.
Takeru and a world title fight are on Denis Puric's wishlist for 2025
Like Nico Carrillo, Denis Puric has not yet booked his first scrap of the new year, but 'The Bosnian Menace' already has a couple of big fights on his wish list, including a shot at the ONE flyweight Muay Thai world championship.
"I mean, I want to fight for the belt, for sure," Puric said. "But I wouldn't mind fighting Takeru for sure. This year, if possible. I also want to do a lot more kickboxing fights, too, not just Muay Thai."
Currently, Takeru Segawa is scheduled to meet former flyweight Muay Thai titleholder Rodtang Jitmuangnon at ONE 172: Takeru vs. Rodtang when ONE Championship heads to the iconic Saitama Super Arena in Japan on Sunday, March 23.
With Puric already going the distance with 'The Iron Man' in eight-ounce gloves last August, could we see 'The Bosnian Menace' go toe-to-toe with Takeru later this year?
ONE 172: Takeru vs. Rodtang will emanate from the Saitama Super Arena in Japan on Sunday, March 23. Head over to watch.onefc.com to learn more about how you can watch the event live.