Despite the fact he’s one of the very best in the world in his chosen field, Nico Carrillo remains far from a household name in his native Scotland.
He will, if things go to plan, not be flying under the radar for much longer, though.
Carrillo is Glasgow born and bred and although football was his first love, it’s as a Muay Thai fighter he’s found his niche.
Already, Carrillo is one of most highly-regarded fighters in his sport. But his ambitions stretch even further than this.
“I want to be the best Thai boxer in the world but really, my biggest goal is to be the best Scottish athlete ever. And I want my country to be proud of me,” the bantamweight says.
“When I was younger, I wanted money and fame but now, I’m far less bothered by that. Of course, both of those are nice but my main target is to make a real impact.
“I want to leave a legacy for kids who are growing up in rough areas in Scotland like I was and show them you can really make something of yourself."
Tomorrow, Carrillo will take the next step on the path to greatness.
The 26-year-old, who is nicknamed “The King of the North”, will fight for the ONE Interim Bantamweight Muay Thai World Title in front of a sold-out crowd in Bangkok.
Initially, Carrillo had been due to fight Superlek Kiatmoo9, who’s regarded as the best pound-for-pound fighter in the sport, but an injury to the Thai sensation forced his withdrawal, with the Scot now due to face Thai-Algerian prodigy, Nabil Anane.
It may be a different challenge from that which Carrillo first expected but nevertheless, he’s ready for both a testing time and a positive outcome.
“I’m feeling amazing and I’m so excited to finally get my shot at this world title. It’s been a long, tough few years to get to this moment but - and I know it’s clichéd to say this - hard work really does pay off. I’ve now got just one more hurdle to clear and I’ll be the champion.
“The world titles I’ve won before are good because any world title is nice to have but this is massive. The ONE Championship is the absolute pinnacle of this sport so it really doesn’t get any bigger.”
That Carrillo has got himself to this point is somewhat remarkable.
He was brought up by his mum in a scheme in the Scotstoun area of Glasgow and he was, he admits, far from a model pupil at school.
Having dabbled in boxing in his pre-teens, it was as a 15-year-old he discovered where his talents really lay; Muay Thai.
However, combining his apprenticeship as an electrician with his sport was becoming an unsustainable lifestyle and so one day, he quit his apprenticeship and relocated to Sweden to follow his dream of becoming a world class fighter.
But the call from the prestigious ONE Championship came at just the right time for the Scot.
“I did have moments when I wondered if it was all going to work out for me,” he says.
“After I left my job as an electrician, I was getting big fights but the pay was terrible. I was, if I was lucky, getting £1000 despite the fact my fight camp would be costing around £5000. So I really was just doing it for the love of the sport and I definitely wondered if I could ever make a career out of it.
“Just before the ONE Championship opportunity came up in 2023, I was seriously considering moving to MMA because I know there’s big money there.
“But then I got the call asking me to sign for ONE Championship so I believe that was fate – I believe everything happens for a reason and it was all meant to be for me.”
Carrillo has amassed an enviable record of 22 wins from 24 fights - he’s unbeaten in 15 fights with his last defeat coming in 2019. But when he steps into the ring tomorrow, any thoughts of his past successes will be banished from his mind. Instead, Carrillo will be focussing purely on avoiding the one this he detests above all else.
“I honestly don’t think about my unbeaten record – I just think about my next fight. Although it is cool to have a record like mine, it’s really not something I think of when I’m preparing for my fights, I’m very focused on the task in front of me,” he says.
“It’s in the moments before my fight when feelings of nervousness and a few doubts can creep in but it’s just about handling that and keeping the negative thoughts at bay.
“Whatever my record, I just hate losing. I hate losing more than I love winning, and I don’t plan on losing tomorrow.”
