Nico Carrillo sets the bar high, eyes Jonathan Haggerty showdown: “It’s the biggest Muay Thai fight for the UK”
Scottish slugger Nico Carrillo has taken ONE Championship by storm since his debut in April last year.
After winning three in a row, all with first round knockouts, Carrillo is now setting a big target: ONE bantamweight world title currently held by British star Jonathan Haggerty.
The Scotsman had called out Haggerty multiple times before, especially after he now has to wait for his rival to defend his title against Thai superstar and fellow ONE world champion Superlek Kiatmoo9 at ONE 168: Denver, on September 6 in U.S. primetime.
When asked in a podcast interview with Sky Sports MMA Club, 'King of the North' mentioned the reason why their fight will be a perfect match:
"It’s perfect [the England vs Scotland] storyline. The Haggerty and Nico fight will always be the biggest fight for the UK until the next generation comes up and about."
He added:
"It’s the biggest Muay Thai fight for the UK, there’s so much on the line, and it’ll be fun. What makes it so much more special is that there’s gold on the line."
Although nothing is set on stone yet, fight fans will first witness whether Haggerty can overcome his next challenge in Superlek.
Liam Harrison believes Nico Carrillo can beat Jonathan Haggerty in a title fight
If British veteran Liam Harrison had to choose between Nico Carrillo and Jonathan Haggerty, he will no doubt lean on the first.
'Hitman' has several strong reasons, which includes Carrillo's size and toughness, as he had shown following a victory against another Thai legend, Nong-O Hama.
In an interview with The City Life Project's YouTube earlier this year, Harrison shared his thoughts on the two top figures in ONE's bantamweight Muay Thai division:
"Nico Carrillo smashes him to pieces in my opinion. Nico's tough, he's big, he's humongous. I don't even know how he makes that weight. He knows how to fight as well. I think Nico beats him to be fair."
See the full interview below: