Nico Carrillo reveals the life-changing advice he learned after KO loss: “It will rot your heart”

By BJPENN.COM Staff - June 27, 2025

Fourth-ranked featherweight Muay Thai star Nico Carrillo has learned valuable lessons about moving forward after setbacks. And he’s offered advice to everyday people on how to do the same.

Nico Carrillo defeated Sitthichai Sitsongpeenong ONE Fight Night 30

The Scottish striker suffered a devastating loss to ONE Interim Bantamweight Muay Thai World Champion Nabil Anane at ONE 170 in January. Carrillo was stopped in the first round by the Algerian-Thai powerhouse. The loss left many questioning whether “King of the North” could bounce back from such a crushing blow.

But Carrillo has found peace with the result. He believes dwelling on negative experiences only holds fighters back from reaching their potential. The 26-year-old has advice for others facing similar struggles in combat sports.

The Scotsman’s philosophy centers on releasing grudges and negative energy. He sees revenge as a toxic emotion that prevents growth. Instead, he advocates for acceptance and forward momentum.

“The reason I’m not big on revenge is because it will rot your brain and it will rot your heart, obsessing over one thing negatively,” Carrillo said.

“So that’s why sometimes, you know, just let things go. Because when you hold on to something like that, you stay in the same place for a long period of time. When you let things go, things start to look brighter again, and you can go on with life.”

Nico Carrillo felt he had a point to prove versus Sitthichai

Featherweight Muay Thai standout Nico Carrillo’s redemption came in spectacular fashion against legendary striker Sitthichai Sitsongpeenong. He delivered a thunderous second-round knockout over the Thai at ONE Fight Night 30 in April.

Carrillo silenced his critics with a dominant performance against the former multiple-time World Champion. The victory proved he remained among the elite in the featherweight Muay Thai division.

The knockout victory restored Carrillo’s belief in himself. He felt vindicated after proving his loss to Anane was an anomaly rather than a decline.

Carrillo’s celebration was as much about relief as triumph. He had carried the weight of expectations and criticism since his January setback. So the emphatic win over Sitthichai lifted that burden from his shoulders.

“It felt like there was a massive weight lifted off my shoulders because I wanted to prove to a lot of people that I was a shadow of myself, and that happened for certain reasons that we don’t need to go into because I’m sure everybody already knows,” he said.

“I needed to remind everybody I am still one of the best fighters in the world. That was a blip on the road. I’ve learned from my mistakes.”

This article appeared first on BJPENN.COM


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