"I want to take the belt off him" - Nico Carrillo believes he can dethrone bantamweight Muay Thai king Jonathan Haggerty
In just three fights under the ONE Championship banner, Nico Carrillo has proven himself to be a top contender in the bantamweight Muay Thai division.
The rising 25-year-old phenom secured consecutive victories in 2023 to announce himself on the global stage as a fighter that everyone should be watching.
Following his last win over former champion Nong-O Hama at ONE Friday Fights 46 in December, Carrillo set his sights on the very top of the division.
The world championship currently belongs to Jonathan Haggerty, a fighter that Carrillo has had no problem calling out ahead of what could be a huge eventual meeting between them.
The Scottish striker now looks to maintain his winning streak at ONE Fight Night 23 where he knows that a win could set him up to face 'The General'.
In an interview on Sky Sports MMA Club, he spoke about this being his primary focus and how excited he is at the potential of this match-up taking place in the near future:
"There's nothing other than the Haggerty fight. I want to take the belt off him, there's nothing more I'd love to do more than that."
Nico Carrillo faces another top contender first
Before he can once again try to stake his claim as the top contender in the division, Nico Carrillo faces another tough test at ONE Fight Night 23.
On July 5, he returns to the iconic Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok to face off with Saemapetch Fairtex.
A big win for both men could see either of them become the next challenger for the world championship.
Given how 'The King of the North' tends to put opponents away in devastating fashion, he will look to make a statement to cement that title shot.
Carrillo can't overlook his next opponent but make no mistake about it, Haggerty is his end goal.
ONE Fight Night 23 will air live in US prime time on July 5 and is free to watch via Prime Video for North American viewers with an active subscription.
Haggerty will return at ONE 168 in one of the biggest fights of the year as he takes on Superlek in Denver on September 6.