Nico Carrillo will challenge for ONE Championship gold once again on February 14 at ONE Fight Night 40 in Bangkok, Thailand. He will meet Shadow Singha Mawynn for the ONE Interim Featherweight Muay Thai World Title.
The 27-year-old Scottish striker's path back to title contention required rebuilding after a devastating setback that would have ended lesser fighters' championship dreams.
Carrillo exploded onto the ONE Championship scene in 2023, winning four straight fights by finish to earn a shot at the ONE Interim Bantamweight Muay Thai World Championship against Nabil Anane in January 2025.
However, Anane stopped Carrillo via TKO, delivering the Scottish fighter his first promotional loss and forcing him to reconsider his approach. Rather than remaining at bantamweight, Carrillo moved up to featherweight where his power and size could create new advantages.
The "King of the North" views his comeback journey as proof that perseverance matters more than avoiding failure.
"I think it's an even killer story that I'd done that – got to the pinnacle, fell off, had to restart, and do it all over again to prove to people that as long as you don't give up," Carrillo reflected.
The Scottish knockout artist revealed the mental framework that carried him through the darkest period following his title defeat, rejecting conventional wisdom about motivation's importance.
"Listen, motivation is crap. Motivation comes and it's gone in the blink of an eye. It's the discipline that gets you up out of bed. I ain't a motivated person. I'm a disciplined person," Carrillo stated bluntly.
The interim title opportunity exists because reigning ONE Featherweight Muay Thai World Champion Tawanchai PK Saenchai suffered an injury during his shocking 52-second knockout loss to Liu Mengyang.
With Tawanchai's return timeline uncertain, the winner between Carrillo and Shadow will eventually unify with the champion.
Carrillo views potential championship success as belonging to everyone who supported him through adversity.
"If I win this belt, it's a victory for everyone who's been involved in this journey. It's a victory for my wife, my coach, my team, sponsors from years ago – everyone who believed in this dream. This moment is for all of us," the Scotsman declared.
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