“He looked really uncomfortable at times” - Nico Carrillo applauds Felipe Lobo for bringing the fight to Jonathan Haggerty
Nico Carrillo believes he has found the perfect way to stop Jonathan Haggerty.
The number one bantamweight Muay Thai contender is confident he has formulated the perfect game plan to stop the reigning ONE bantamweight Muay Thai and kickboxing world champion.
In an interview with the South China Morning Post, Carrillo said he saw how uncomfortable Haggerty got when opponents would push the pace and dictate the tempo of the fight.
The Scottish star pointed out how Felipe Lobo and Vladimir Kuzmin found success when they put on the pressure against Haggerty in their respective matches.
Carrillo specifically looked at how Lobo brought the fight and rattled Haggerty in their world title showdown in Bangkok.
Nico Carrillo said:
"So Lobo actually took the fight to Haggerty and he looked really uncomfortable at times, the way Kuzmin did, the same way Rodtang [Jitmuangnon] did. So yeah, there's nothing much more to be said, though."
Of all the fighters Carrillo mentioned, only Rodtang saw his hand raised in a match against Haggerty.
The ONE flyweight Muay Thai world champion is the only man to hold a win over Haggerty in ONE Championship, albeit when 'The General' was still competing down at flyweight. He has since moved up to bantamweight, which has proven to be a much better fit for him.
Kuzmin matched Haggerty's speed and aggression in their match at ONE on Prime Video 4 but still fell to the British superstar via decision.
Lobo, meanwhile, managed to score a knockdown against Haggerty but was eventually knocked out in his bantamweight Muay Thai world title challenge at ONE Fight Night 19.
Watch Carrillo's entire interview below:
Nico Carrillo vows to end Jonathan Haggerty's bantamweight dominance
Armed with the knowledge of how to put an end to Haggerty's dominant form, Nico Carrillo vowed that he would be the one to stop the champ-champ's reign.
In the same interview with the South China Morning Post, Carrillo said he has done everything there is to do, and that he has earned the right to challenge Haggerty at the top of the bantamweight Muay Thai division. He said:
"I was always just patient. I clapped for them, and I knew when it was my turn, it would come. Now it's my turn, and I'm going to take everything he's got."