He will face Shadow Singha Mawynn for the ONE Interim Featherweight Muay Thai World Title in the co-main event of A Fighting Night 40 on Friday, February 13 at Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.
Ahead of the clash, Nico Carrillo, the 27-year-old striker, stressed the importance of discipline over fleeting motivation. He took his pursuit of the championship as a collective victory for everyone who supported his journey.
Nico Carrillo brings a record of 29-4, with six promotional wins via knockout, into this Interim Featherweight Muay Thai World Title match at ONE Fight Night 40. The Scottish destroyer is aiming for both interim gold and his 30th career win after rebounding from his January 2025 TKO loss to Nabil Anane in a ONE Interim Bantamweight World Title fight.
Scottish striker Nico Carrillo embraces redemption ahead of ONE Fight Night 40
Reflective On his journey from championship defeat to second chance at an interim title, Nico Carrillo emphasized the inspiring value of resilience and perseverance. The “King of the North” presented his story as proof that setbacks do not define a career if fighters refuse to give up on their dreams.
“I think it’s even a great story that I did that: reached the pinnacle, fell off, had to start over and did it all over again to prove that to people, as long as you don’t give up,” Carrillo said.
Following his successful promotional debut in 2023, the Scottish striker recorded three more wins and earned his first interim gold win against Anane in January 2025. The Algerian-Thai powerhouse shattered Carrillo’s championship aspirations with a devastating TKO in less than one round at ONE 170.
Nico Carrillo values discipline over temporary motivation
The Scottish destroyer dismissed motivation as unreliable and credited discipline as the driving force behind consistent performance. Carrillo explained that daily discipline rather than emotional highs produces the work ethic necessary for championship success.
“Listen, motivation is bullshit. Motivation comes and is gone in the blink of an eye. It’s the discipline that gets you out of bed. I’m not a motivated person. I’m a disciplined person,” he said.
The 25-year-old Shadow offers enormous challenges with his 81-14 record built through phenomenal Muay Thai performances. The Singha Mawynn representative proved his finishing skills with three stoppages, while demonstrating the technical expertise required to compete with the division’s best strikers.
Scottish contender blames title chase on support system
The ‘King of the North’ took the potential title victory as a collective achievement shared with everyone who supported his journey. He specifically mentioned his wife, coach, team and longtime sponsors who deserved credit for believing in his championship dreams.
“If I win this title, it is a victory for everyone who has been involved in this journey. It is a victory for my wife, my coach, my team, sponsors from years ago – everyone who believed in this dream. This moment belongs to all of us,” Nico Carrillo explained.
The opportunity for an interim title arose after Tawanchai suffered a leg injury during his shocking 52-second TKO loss to China’s Liu Mengyang in December. His return date remains unconfirmed, leaving the interim belt holder as the clear next challenger once the Thai megastar receives medical clearance.
ONE Fight Night 40 will air live on Prime Video on Friday, February 13. The action starts at 8:00 PM ET/5:00 PM PT. The event is free for all Amazon Prime subscribers in the US and Canada.
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