Scottish Knockout Artist Nico Carrillo Chases ONE Interim World Title Against Shadow
Nico Carrillo has built his career on what his explosive fists can accomplish in seconds — six promotional victories, six finishes, just over 30 minutes of total fight time to dispatch almost every opponent who’s stood across from him. The Scottish knockout artist earned his fearsome reputation through sheer destructive power, but as another world title opportunity arrives, he insists this next performance will reveal something different entirely.
The 27-year-old faces Thailand’s Shadow Singha Mawynn for the ONE Interim Featherweight Muay Thai World Championship at ONE Fight Night 40: Buntan vs. Hemetsberger II on Prime Video on Friday, February 13, live from Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok. With coveted gold at stake, Carrillo believes this matchup demands more than just brute strength — it requires the kind of technical excellence that’s been lurking beneath his killer instinct all along.
“Just being all-round good at Muay Thai, because I can bring my power out in any fight and put anybody away, but sometimes it’s not prettier than that, so I want to make this fight look, for the fans and for me watching it back, as beautiful and as perfect as I can, without having to resort to my power,” Carrillo said. “Rather, when the shot’s there, it’ll be there.”
The admission marks a significant evolution for the Deachkalek Muay Thai Academy affiliate. Carrillo acknowledges he chased knockouts too aggressively early in his ONE tenure, trusting his power to solve every problem. While that approach produced thrilling results — including stoppage victories over seven-time world champion Sitthichai Sitsongpeenong and Turkish standout Furkan Karabag — it wasn’t exactly pretty.
Against a composed and technically sharp opponent like Shadow, however, Carrillo recognizes patience and structure will prove just as important as unbridled aggression. The Thai striker brings Rajadamnern Stadium championship credentials and a seven-fight unbeaten streak that includes two recent finishes, establishing himself as one of the division’s most dangerous contenders.
“Shadow’s just all-round good,” Carrillo explained. “He’s good at everything. He was obviously a Rajadamnern Champion before he came to ONE. So, he’s very accomplished. He had a bit of a rocky start when he came to ONE Championship, and then found his feet, and he’s just been on the same kind of trajectory as myself. So, yeah, no bad words to say about Shadow.”
That acknowledgment has reshaped how the Scottish striker approached his preparation, especially after the setback he suffered in his first world championship opportunity against Nabil Anane for the ONE Interim Bantamweight Muay Thai World Title in January last year. Rather than pushing himself to the brink of exhaustion in every session, this camp has been defined by calculated work.
“I would say I’m training smarter,” Carrillo said. “I always train hard, in every camp. However, some camps I ran myself into the ground. Some camps I perhaps neglected certain parts of training, like having full days just working on defense, because my mindset is always go, go, go. Always need to push myself to extremes. This camp, we started really far out. Some days we’re not going as hard, and we’re just working on defensive stuff and drills. So yeah, I’d say smarter, definitely.”
The winner earns the right to face reigning divisional king Tawanchai PK Saenchai, currently sidelined due to injury. Despite the broader narratives surrounding the matchup, Carrillo insists his focus has never shifted toward specific opponents or personal grudges — just whoever holds the gold.
“For me, it’s never an opposition,” Carrillo said. “For me, it’s just whoever holds the gold. That’s always my goal. I made that very clear from the start. I’ve never had hatred for anyone. I’ve never wanted to fight a certain person. I just wanted to fight for gold, and that’s still the case. The fans can expect me, the ‘King of the North’ to get his hand raised. And for the beautiful little story I talked about to be completed — and then a new story begins after that.”
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