The April 5 event, which is set to go down inside Bangkok, Thailand’s Lumpinee Stadium, will now see No. 3-ranked bantamweight Muay Thai superstar Nico Carrillo moving to featherweight to take on No. 4-ranked contender Sitthichai Sitsongpeenong.
Carrillo made waves upon his arrival in ONE Championship in April 2023, earning a finish in his first four outings while taking out striking royalty in Muangthai PK Saenchai, Nong-O Hama, and Saemapetch Fairtex along the way.
The latter victory pushed the Scottish dynamo directly into the ONE bantamweight Muay Thai world title conversation, which resulted in him getting a chance to challenge divisional king Superlek Kiatmoo9 at 170 this past January.
Unfortunately for “King of the North,” Superlek was forced to pull out of that tie in the lead-up, so he was tasked with taking on fellow rising star Nabil Anane for the interim crown instead.
To the shock of many, Anane dominated their matchup and served Carrillo a stunning first-round knockout defeat to claim the gold.
However, with that loss behind him, the 26-year-old is ready to assert his show-stopping skill set in a new division. And, given the wealth of talent at featherweight, there are likely many more exciting clashes ahead.
First on his list is Thai veteran Sitthichai, who’ll be out to avenge his compatriots who fell to Carrillo when they meet.
“Killer Kid” is a former Lumpinee Stadium Muay Thai world champion and multi-time Glory Kickboxing world champion, and he has continually impressed throughout his five-year tenure in ONE Championship.
The 33-year-old possesses a ruthless fighting style, which he backs up with venomous kicks and powerful punches. Those skills saw him become the last man to defeat ONE featherweight Muay Thai world champion Tawanchai PK Saenchai, way back at ONE: BATTLEGROUND III in 2021.
Sitthichai is well aware that a strong showing against a deadly knockout artist like Carrillo would strengthen his case for a first shot at the ONE Featherweight Muay Thai World Title. And “King of the North” will be out to show he can bring the fire whatever the weight.
So, all indications point to their showdown at ONE Fight Night 30 being a barnburner.
