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Andrew Whitelaw

Nico Carrillo said he will never again fight at 145lbs (65kg) following his devastating loss to Nabil Anane at ONE 170, putting in doubt his long-mooted all-British mega fight with Jonathan Haggerty.
And while the Scottish Muay Thai star is eager to right the wrongs of that defeat, it will not be at bantamweight.
“My body’s fine, but my heart is broken,” Carrillo told the Post. “That was the least injured I’ve ever been after a fight, but mentally, it’s been tough.
“I’ve just been obsessing over the next fight – I can’t sit at peace until I fix this.”
Carrillo was riding a wave of momentum heading into his ONE Interim Bantamweight Muay Thai World Title clash with Anane in January, but it was in Bangkok that everything came to a shuddering halt.


The Thai teen sensation dismantled him in the first round, leaving the Scot stunned and unable to continue.
“I made errors, and I already know what they were,” Carrillo, 26, said. “You always learn from fights, win or lose, but when you lose, it just hits different.
“You feel like you need to get so much better. And for me, it wasn’t just the fight – it was everything. The weight cut was the worst I’ve ever had.”
Carrillo had been making the bantamweight limit for years, but on that occasion, his body simply gave up on him.
“There was a rumour at the weigh-in that I wasn’t going to make it, and to be honest, even we thought we were cutting it tight,” he said. “But I knew, even while cutting, that I was done at this weight.
“My legs weren’t there, my chin wasn’t there. I’ve taken big shots my whole career, and they’ve never dropped me. This time, I just wasn’t myself.
“Even after the fight, my legs were in agony for a week. My body was rejecting it. I starved myself for the longest I’ve ever done, but my weight just wouldn’t budge. That was my body telling me, ‘Enough’.”
And Carrillo said he would not put himself through that again.
“I’ll never fight at 145 again,” he said. “I’ll never put my body through that again. I’ve learned my lesson.”

Carrillo has no bitterness towards rising star Anane and is, in fact, rooting for him.
But while Anane looks to clinch the unified bantamweighttitle in Tokyo in March, Carrillo is plotting his own rise at featherweight, which raises a major question: will he ever fight Haggerty?
“I still think it must happen,” Carrillo said. “But the only way I fight Haggerty now is if he comes up with me. I’m never going back down.”
For now, Carrillo is laser-focused on redemption.
“Biggest stage of my life, biggest opportunity, and that’s when my body failed me,” he said. “It still hurts, but I’ll get better from this. Now, I can fight at my full potential.”
The King of the North said would take out any of the top contenders.
“I know what I bring to the table,” Carrillo said. “I’m not afraid of anyone.
“If they put Sitthichai in front of me, I’ll take him out. Same with Superbon, same with anyone else they throw at me.”


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ONE Championship: Carrillo done at 145lbs – will mega fight with Haggerty ever happen?

Nico Carrillo said he will never fight at 145lbs again, putting the mooted fight with Jonathan Haggerty in doubt. Photo: ONE Championship

Nico Carrillo (left) applauds the victorious Nabil Anane (right) after their bout at ONE 170. Photo: ONE Championship

ONE Championship: Hong Kong star Yu Yau-pui back in the ring at ONE Fight Night 29

Hong Kong star Yu Yau-pui (right) lands on right hand against Lara Fernandez at ONE Fight Night 20. Photo: ONE Championship

Yu Yau-pui is looking to get back to winning ways when she faces Poland’s Martyna Kierczynska at ONE Fight Night 29. Photo: ONE Championship

ONE Championship: Chinese fighter Wei Rei loses on points in Jonathan Haggerty title fight

Wu Rei (right) congratulates bantamweight kickboxing champion Jonathan Haggerty after their hard-fought battle at ONE 171. Photo: ONE Championship

Joshua Pacio (left) overcame Jarred Brooks in their strawweight MMA title fight at ONE 171. Photo: strawweight MMA

Sport

Martial Arts

Scottish Muay Thai star said he will never again fight at bantamweight following his devastating loss to Nabil Anane at ONE 170


Scottish Muay Thai star said he will never again fight at bantamweight following his devastating loss to Nabil Anane at ONE 170.
