“That was a bit strange” - Nico Carrillo talks about Saemapetch’s ‘weird tactics’ during ONE Fight Night 23 duel
Nico Carrillo was forced to adjust on the fly after Saemapetch threw some "weird" tactics his way during their entertaining clash.
Returning to the legendary Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok for a massive bantamweight Muay Thai matchup with Saemapetch at ONE Fight Night 23, the 'King of the North' scored himself another highlight-reel finish that should put him in pole position for a future title opportunity.
After an entertaining opening round, Carrillo finished things off in the second, planting Saemapetch on the canvas three times to score his fourth-straight knockout under the ONE Championship banner.
During his ONE Fight Night 23 post-fight interview, Nico Carrillo revealed that Saemapetch's unorthodox tactics were hindering his power—until he made the appropriate adjustments.
"I'm not surprised. I think he had a bit of some weird tactics," Carrillo said. "He was ducking his head when I was coming in close, and I had to readjust to that because it was taking the power out of my shots. That was a bit strange."
If you missed any of the action, ONE Championship fans in the United States and Canada can watch the ONE Fight Night 23 replay on demand via Amazon Prime Video.
Is Nico Carrillo next up for the winner of Jonathan Haggerty vs. Superlek?
With knockouts against Kurkan Karabag, Muangthai, former ONE world champion Nong-O Hama, and now Saemapetch, Nico Carrillo should be all but guaranteed a shot at two-sport king and reigning ONE bantamweight Muay Thai world champion Jonathan Haggerty.
But before the 'King of the North' can cash in on his opportunity, he'll have to wait for Haggerty to settle some business with 'The Kicking Machine' Superlek.
Haggerty and the current ONE flyweight kickboxing world titleholder will square off on September 6 when the promotion heads back to the United States for ONE 168 in The Mile High City—Denver, Colorado.
The winner of that highly anticipated Muay Thai showdown will likely find themselves tasked with defending their belt against Carrillo at some point in late 2024 or early 2025.
Follow this link for tickets for ONE 168: Denver on September 6 at Ball Arena.