Scottish knockout artist Nico “King of the North” Carrillo has finally achieved the dream he’s visualized for years – becoming a ONE World Champion.
The 27-year-old went to war with Thai standout Shadow Mavinn over five grueling rounds to claim a unanimous decision victory and capture the ONE Interim Featherweight Muay Thai World Title in the co-main event of ONE Fight Night 40 on Friday, February 13, inside Bangkok’s historic Lumpinee Stadium.
Shadow started strong, utilizing his signature leg kicks and punches to test the Scottish challenger early. However, Carrillo picked up the pace as the rounds progressed, methodically breaking down the 26-year-old Thai star with powerful punches and relentless forward pressure.
For years, Carrillo has visualized himself wearing ONE Championship gold, picturing the moment countless times during training sessions and long flights to fight camps. That mental preparation made Friday’s reality feel surreal, even as the belt was wrapped around his waist.
Speaking to onefc.com after his victory, Carrillo reflected on achieving his lifelong dream. The newly crowned interim king shared:
“It feels good. It feels like reality now. I’ve pictured this for so long, so it’s nice for that to come true.”
The years of sacrifice, training, and setbacks culminated in this moment at Lumpinee Stadium.
Carrillo’s game plan against Shadow showed the evolution of his fight IQ since joining the world’s largest martial arts organization.
Rather than engaging in the wild brawls that defined some of his earlier performances, the Scottish striker implemented a disciplined game plan that neutralized Shadow’s most dangerous weapons.
“King of the North” detailed:
“The game plan was to hurt and move, not allow Shadow to attack my leg. We knew that was his main focus throughout the fight. First thing he threw was a low kick — I was nowhere to be seen. We knew that’s what he was going to do. We knew he was going to try and low kick and then just kick the way he always does. I knew I had to watch the elbows when I was coming into punching range.
“I focused on not going for the finish straight away. If it came, it came. But we trained for five rounds. As you can see, my conditioning was amazing. I’ve never gone five rounds [as] hard as I fought, and fresh as I am. No one trains as hard as me.”
Beyond the perfect execution, Carrillo gained newfound respect for Shadow’s toughness and willingness to stand and trade despite the Scottish striker’s obvious power advantage.
The Thai sensation absorbed punishment that would have crumbled lesser fighters, continuing to engage until the final seconds.
When asked about Shadow’s performance, Carrillo offered genuine praise for his opponent’s heart:
“I was actually quite surprised. I think he really, really tried 100 percent to stand there with me. So, hats off to him. As a person, I’ve always liked him and he’s a great person. But now, as a fighter, I think he’s hard as nails.”
Carrillo Focused On Present Moment, Unification Bout With Tawanchai Awaits
Nico Carrillo’s immediate future involves a title unification bout against reigning ONE Featherweight Muay Thai World Champion Tawanchai PK Saenchai, who is currently rehabbing an injury.
That clash represents the biggest opportunity of Carrillo’s career – a chance to prove he’s the undisputed best featherweight Muay Thai fighter in the world by defeating the division’s dominant champion.
The Scottish striker, however, remained focused on celebrating his accomplishment against Shadow rather than looking ahead to future challenges.
He said:
“I’ve not thought about it. I haven’t focused on that. I’ve just been focused on Shadow.”
Beyond the professional achievement, Friday’s victory held deeply personal significance for Carrillo. His wife traveled to Bangkok to witness his coronation moment, fulfilling a promise he’d made years earlier about the life he would provide her through his fighting career.
When discussing what this victory meant for his family, Carrillo’s emotions surfaced.
“King of the North” concluded:
“It’s been a dream of mine to have my wife here. I told my wife, one day I’m going to take her out of her job so she wouldn’t have to work anymore. And that was the dream today, one day, and it came true.”