“I’m very bada*s anyway” - Nico Carrillo admits his stunning KO over Nong-O unlocked a new persona within him
Nico Carrillo never expected that he would discover a new side to his game until he met the legendary Nong-O Hama.
The Scottish knockout machine faced Nong-O in arguably the most pivotal match of his career at ONE Friday Fights 46 in December 2023.
Nong-O had the early advantage in the match when he nearly scored a stoppage in the first round. But Carrillo rallied back in the second and flatlined the Thai legend with a brutal elbow shot.
In an interview with the Leather'd Podcast, Nico Carrillo admitted he unlocked a new level to his game when he came back against Nong-O in their Bangkok showdown.
Carrillo said:
"Like I learned a lot about myself in the Nong-O fight. I know I’m very bada*s anyway. But I'm also even more bada*s when I'm hot like an animal, you need to be careful, they're even more dangerous when they're in danger."
Nong-O launched a barrage of leg kicks in the first round that nearly stopped Carrillo's charge. However, 'King of the North' rallied back in the second and utilized his boxing range to cause significant damage to the former ONE bantamweight Muay Thai world champion.
Carrillo then slowly walked Nong-O to the ropes before unleashing a textbook lead elbow that quickly felled the former multi-time world champion.
Now riding a four-fight winning streak, Carrillo looks to carry his momentum when he challenges Superlek Kiatmoo9 for the ONE bantamweight Muay Thai world title at ONE 170 on Jan. 24, 2025 at Impact Arena.
Nico Carrillo says his popularity skyrocketed after he beat Nong-O in 2023
Nico Carrillo could not have imagined what a win over the iconic Nong-O Hama would do to his career.
In the same interview with the Leather'd Podcast, Carrillo said his popularity boomed when he beat Nong-O at ONE Friday Fights 46.
Carrillo's latest win in ONE Championship was against Muangthai PK Saenchai at ONE Fight Night 23. But, but he always felt that the victory over Nong-O gave him unparalleled momentum within the fanbase.
"Absolutely. I mean I beat Muangthai, which was huge as well but I felt like my popularity kind of boomed after that Nong-O fight."
Watch Nico Carrillo's entire interview below: