This Friday, July 5, at ONE Fight Night 23: Ok vs. Rasulov on Prime Video, #4-ranked bantamweight Muay Thai contender Saemapetch Fairtex will aim to be the first man in ONE to defeat surging Scottish knockout artist Nico ‘King of the North’ Carrillo.

Set to air live in North American primetime from the iconic Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, that intriguing Muay Thai showdown is likely to produce a challenger to the ONE Bantamweight Muay Thai World Title.

Saemapetch eager to face Carrillo after Scotsman’s meteoric rise

As a longtime mainstay of the division’s upper echelon, Saemapetch knows exactly what’s at stake and he’s pumped to put on a show for the raucous Bangkok crowd, and represent the Thai people as he has done admirably throughout his illustrious career.

“I’m so pumped for this fight to be able to represent the Thai people in the ring at ONE Fight Night 23. No matter what happens, I will do my best to make Thai fans proud of me,” Saemapetch said.

The Thai fan favorite will be in for a stiff test.

After just three appearances in ONE, Carrillo has rocketed to the #1 spot in the bantamweight Muay Thai rankings, scoring a trio of highlight-reel knockouts. Two of those knockouts came against respected Thai veterans.

Saemapetch cannot see any weaknesses in Carrillo’s game

Saemapetch is quick to give respect to “King of the North” and his meteoric rise. Given the Scot’s dominance so far, Saemapetch says he’ll have to feel him out in the ring in order to find his weak spots:

“Nico has almost everything. He is a foreign fighter with good Muay Thai skills. I still can’t find his weakness, but maybe he’ll reveal it in the ring. When I see his style up close, I will find the best way to approach him.”

With nearly 150 professional kickboxing and Muay Thai fights to resume – including 14 thrilling battles in the world’s largest martial arts organization – Saemapetch plans to lean on his veteran savvy against Carrillo, who he admits is a serious knockout threat at any moment.

The Thai added:

“My experience as a veteran Thai boxer will help a lot in this fight, like how to defend or counter. But even though he doesn’t have as many fights as me, in the ring, with 4-ounce small gloves, the first who makes a mistake can be knocked down. It’s up to me to neutralize his game.”