Nico Carrillo acknowledges the quality of his opponent but remains laser-focused on capturing championship gold when he faces Shadow Singha Mawynn for the ONE Interim Featherweight Muay Thai World Title on February 14 at ONE Fight Night 40.
The Scottish striker will challenge the 25-year-old Thai sensation in the co-main event at Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, seeking his second opportunity at glory after his crushing bantamweight title defeat.
Carrillo's 6-1 promotional record features six finishes across six victories, establishing "King of the North" as one of the sport's most dangerous knockout artists. However, for this interim title fight, the Scottish fighter aims to elevate his performance beyond raw power.
"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," Carrillo revealed.
When analyzing Shadow, Carrillo identified similarities in their promotional journeys, which have positioned both fighters for this interim title opportunity.
"Shadow's just all-round good. He's good at everything. 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," the Scottish knockout artist observed.
His assessment recognizes Shadow's 6-2 promotional record, including his tough ONE Friday Fights debut loss in 2024 before rebounding with consecutive Muay Thai victories that earned him a six-figure main roster contract. Both fighters overcame early promotional setbacks to reach title contention.
Despite acknowledging his opponent's abilities, Carrillo maintains a championship mentality that views opponents as obstacles rather than the primary focus.
"For me, it's never an opposition. For me, it's just whoever holds the gold. That's always my goal. I just wanted to fight for gold, and that's still the case," Carrillo stated definitively.
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