Nico Carrillo Reveals Secret Weapon Ahead Of ONE Fight Night 40: “Purest Form Of Anything In The World”
Nico Carrillo has spent previous training camps in Thailand without the one thing that made home truly feel like home — his five-year-old Springer Spaniel, Cali. The grueling sessions at Bangtao Muay Thai & MMA in Phuket produced results, sharpened his devastating striking, built the foundation for six consecutive ONE Championship finishes. But something was always missing during those months away from Glasgow, an absence that gnawed at him between training sessions.
Not this time. The 27-year-old Scottish knockout artist made sure Cali joined him in Phuket for his world championship preparation, first for his November victory over Luke Lessei and now for his upcoming ONE interim featherweight Muay Thai world championship clash against Shadow Singha Mawynn at ONE Fight Night 40: Buntan vs. Hemetsberger II on Prime Video on Friday, February 13, live from Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok. Every logistical hurdle and penny spent bringing her 6,245 miles from Scotland to Thailand proved worth it because some things are non-negotiable.
“The process to bring Cali here was very stressful, for sure,” Carrillo said. “It was also expensive. We had to get some things checked back home. Then we had to take a seven-hour drive to London from Glasgow, the only place that ships directly to Thailand. I had to leave her there and go on a different plane. It was pretty sad, but it was for the best. It was a long journey. I couldn’t leave her back home. Now, thankfully, I’m back in action soon, so we just decided to keep her here with us a bit longer than initially planned.”
Through every grueling training session, Cali has been right there beside him. Her wagging tail and boundless energy have become the heartbeat of his daily life in Phuket, providing the unconditional love that makes all the difference in the demanding world of professional fighting where sacrifice and distance are constants. The Deachkalek Muay Thai Academy standout returns home after each session to find Cali waiting, her enthusiasm never diminished no matter how many times he walks through that door.
“There’s no better way to come home after training than just to be with my wife, Aimee, and Cali,” Carrillo explained. “Cali goes crazy every time I’m back. It brings me to tears most times. She’s always there, greeting me. And that’s one of the best messages there is, like it shows how a human can share a really close bond with a dog. Cali is mine and Aimee’s little first child.”
Carrillo’s connection with Cali grew naturally from the moment he first locked eyes with her as a pup. Growing up surrounded by dogs — at his mother’s house, his grandparents’ home, with cousins who kept canines — meant the bond was instinctive. Over five years, she’s served as his running partner up Scottish mountains and hills, his emotional anchor during difficult camps, his unofficial training buddy whose tireless energy matches his own relentless work ethic.
“I’ve always been a dog person,” Carrillo said. “I grew up with dogs in my mum’s house. My grandparents had a dog too. My cousins had dogs. I’ve always been around dogs all the time. So yeah, we spend loads of time together. There’s plenty we have done over the years. She’s even my running partner back home. She runs up all the mountains and all the hills with me.”
Thailand’s unforgiving heat has shifted their dynamic slightly — Springer Spaniels are bred for cooler climates, after all. But they’ve adapted through early morning walks before the sun climbs too high and beach trips saved for evenings when the temperature drops. Cali splashes through the waves with her tail wagging furiously, exploring the sand during those cooler hours that make Phuket tolerable for a dog built for Scottish weather.
“She absolutely loves it here,” Carrillo said. “We still go for walks normally from 7am to 9am when the sun isn’t too hot. She still goes out for a full hour everyday and then we take her to the beach in the afternoon when it gets cooler. She loves her time out on the beach, too. Having Aimee beside me for my camps is special, but I’d say it’s more complete now with Cali out here, as well. Like, I can just focus on my training, and then head home to be with them. It’s just as if I’m back home.”
Beyond running trails or stopping by beaches, Carrillo spends his downtime with Cali and Aimee cuddled up binge-watching their favorite films. These moments define what his four-legged companion means to him — a living reminder of what matters when the four-ounce gloves aren’t strapped on. When the world championship fight is over and the adrenaline dissipates, Cali will be there waiting, tail wagging, ready to greet him.
“Dogs are the purest form of anything in the world,” Carrillo reflected. “I don’t believe that we deserve to have dogs. I think the human race doesn’t deserve dogs. There’s that old saying, ‘A dog is a man’s best friend.’ And it’s true, absolutely. My dog is like my little daughter.”
READ MORE: Terence Crawford Fires Back at Joaquin Buckley After Street Fight Challenge
Recent posts
