‘I’m Always Looking For The Finish’ – Nico Carrillo Confident He’ll Knock Out Luke Lessei At ONE Fight Night 37

Nico “King of the North” Carrillo has built his career on jaw-dropping knockouts and relentless aggression, and he has no intention of changing that formula now.

The Scottish powerhouse returns to the ring against Luke “The Chef” Lessei in a featherweight Muay Thai slugfest, which serves as the co-main event of ONE Fight Night 37: Kryklia vs. Agdeve on Prime Video.

That must-see battle airs live in U.S. primetime from Bangkok, Thailand, on Friday, November 7.

With a tough test on the horizon, the 27-year-old Glaswegian has approached his fight camp with the same uncompromising intensity that defines his ferocious finishing ability.

For this particular matchup, Carrillo – the division’s #4-ranked contender who owns a 28-4 career record – has been putting in work at Bangtao Muay Thai and MMA in Phuket, Thailand, where he is sharpening his already potent skills and adding new dimensions to his fierce striking arsenal.

The Scottish warrior told onefc.com:

“I’m always in great physical condition for every fight. I train as hard as my body allows me to during every single camp. I don’t like leaving any stones unturned, and this camp is no different.

“As such, the training camp has been absolutely fantastic. I can’t explain much more than that because it’s been absolutely fantastic, and I’m super excited to show the fans a new version of myself.”

Despite promising to showcase a new version of himself, the Deachkalek Muay Thai Academy representative will tap into the knockout power that has become his calling card in ONE Championship.

Since joining the world’s largest martial arts organization in 2023, Carrillo has ended each of his five promotional victories inside the distance. Most recently, “King of the North” knocked out seven-time Muay Thai and Kickboxing World Champion Sitthichai “Killer Kid” Sitsongpeenong at ONE Fight Night 30 this past April.

With his reputation on the line and a chance to climb even higher in the featherweight Muay Thai rankings, the Scottish bruiser is ready to remind everyone exactly why he’s one of the most dangerous strikers on the planet.

Carrillo added:

“I’m always looking for the finish. I have a 100 percent finishing rate in ONE Championship, and I don’t plan on changing that now.”

Carrillo Thriving At His Natural Weight

One of the biggest storylines surrounding Nico Carrillo’s recent success has been his move to featherweight – a decision that has paid immediate dividends and allowed him to compete at his absolute best.

Despite racking up highlight-reel finishes in the bantamweight division against former ONE Bantamweight Muay Thai World Champion Nong-O Hama, “Elbow Zombie” Muangthai PK Saenchai, and Saemapetch Fairtex, his physical growth forced him to start afresh in a new weight bracket.

As Carrillo explained, the difference has been night and day:

“This camp has been a bit different from all the ones before. My first good fight camp was against Sitthichai. Now, this one just shows how much better preparations are now, without focusing too much on diet and losing weight and so on.

“I feel like I’m really made for this division. I’m really strong. I’m much faster. I was always [dangerous] before at bantamweight, but now, it’s much better.”

That renewed strength and speed will be crucial against Lessei, whose four-inch height and reach advantage could pose problems for fighters who can’t close the distance effectively. 

However, Carrillo thrives in these situations – figuring out how to get inside on taller opponents and unleashing devastating combinations once he’s in range.

While “King of the North” isn’t sharing his secrets before the match, he’s supremely confident that his game plan will be obvious right off the bat at ONE Fight Night 37.

Carrillo concluded:

“I’m not going to give away the specifics that I have been working on throughout fight camp, but I’m confident that as soon as the first bell goes, you’ll see exactly what I’ve been working on because I’m gonna get right to that.

“My power is even better now, and that will be on display. I’ll come at him with the weapons and techniques that I’ve been sharpening the most. I don’t want to ruin the surprise. I’m just excited for everybody to see what’s going to happen.”