Nico Carrillo elevated to undisputed ONE Featherweight Muay Thai World Champion

Injuries end reigns. They do not always end legacies, and Tawanchai’s will be remembered as one of the finest in ONE Championship history.

Nico Carrillo has been elevated from interim titleholder to undisputed ONE Featherweight Muay Thai World Champion after Tawanchai PK Saenchai officially vacated the title to continue rehabbing a serious leg injury.

Tawanchai claimed the crown at ONE 161 in 2022, edging out Petchmorakot in a five-round war to become champion. Tawanchai’s reign included statement wins over Jamal Yusupov and two victories over Superbon.

He also beat Jo Nattawut in two different sports, building a 10-3 record that made him one of the division’s most dominant champions ever.

That reign ended in December 2025 when a calf kick from Liu Mengyang finished a kickboxing bout in 52 seconds. The result left Tawanchai needing surgery and an extended recovery period that ultimately forced his hand.

Vacating rather than sitting on the title while injured clears the division to move forward without an interim-versus-undisputed split muddying the picture. It also puts the entire weight of Tawanchai’s legacy behind the fighter now tasked with carrying it.

Nico Carrillo already eyes kickboxing gold

Nico Carrillo earned this opportunity the hard way. He carried a 29-4 record and a relentless finishing instinct into his interim title shot. He outworked Shadow Mavinn across five rounds at ONE Fight Night 40 in February to capture the belt.

The 27-year-old Scot is already moving forward rather than waiting to celebrate his new status. Carrillo makes his ONE kickboxing debut against Zhou Jiaqiang at ONE Fight Night 46 on Friday, August 14, at Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.

Stepping into a new discipline immediately after inheriting undisputed gold is a bold call. But it fits a fighter who built his career on seeking out the toughest available test. A win there would put him on course to chase two-sport World Champion status, adding kickboxing gold to a featherweight Muay Thai throne he has now claimed outright.