Luke Lessei believes he has “a little bit more” to prove than Nico Carrillo at ONE Fight Night 37

Physical dimensions matter when elite strikers collide. Luke Lessei believes his reach and versatility create problems that even Nico Carrillo’s knockout power cannot solve.

The American striker battles the Scottish powerhouse in featherweight Muay Thai action at ONE Fight Night 37: Kryklia vs. Agdeve on Friday, November 7, live from Bangkok, Thailand. The 29-year-old Iowa native secured this co-main event opportunity through direct conversation with ONE Championship Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong following his first-round TKO destruction of Cody Jerome at ONE Fight Night 27 in January.

Carrillo enters carrying the reputation of a legitimate knockout artist who destroyed consecutive Thai legends at bantamweight. His victims include former champion Nong-O Hama, Muangthai PK Saenchai, and Saemapetch Fairtex before his shocking title loss to Nabil Anane forced his move to featherweight.

The Scottish striker announced his arrival at 145 pounds by knocking out legendary Sitthichai Sitsongpeenong. That performance demonstrated his devastating power translates effectively across weight classes while competing at optimal health without brutal weight cuts hampering his performance.

All of this isn’t lost on Lessei.

“I mean, if you are in ONE Championship and you don’t have power, that would be pretty weird. So, obviously, he has power, he hits hard. I mean that’s pretty much the standard for being a professional fighter,” Lessei said.

“I’m just trying to focus on my training, really. Since I came out here, dude, I only focus on what I’m doing.”

Luke Lessei targets career-defining victory over Nico Carrillo at ONE Fight Night 37

Luke Lessei’s promotional journey reads like a roller coaster designed specifically for combat sports entertainment. His December 2023 debut against Jo Nattawut produced an instant classic despite a razor-thin decision loss that left judges divided.

Victory over Eddie Abasolo followed at ONE Fight Night 19, though controversy surrounded the split decision. Then came heartbreak at ONE Fight Night 23 when Bampara Kouyate landed a devastating uppercut in the final minute to steal victory from Lessei’s grasp after he had dropped the Frenchman earlier.

His emphatic comeback against Jerome proved he belongs among the division’s elite strikers. Now Carrillo represents the biggest test yet, a chance to establish himself firmly within the featherweight Muay Thai rankings through upset victory over a proven finisher.

The 6-foot-2 American sees clear advantages his physical dimensions provide. His exceptional reach allows him to control distance while his striking versatility creates problems that traditional power-punchers struggle to solve through aggression alone.

“Obviously my physical reach. My reach and then I would just say, my versatility, my variety of strikes. I definitely feel comfortable throwing all eight limbs – not to say that he isn’t, but I just feel like I have a little bit more of a variety within my strikes,” he said.

“Yeah, I mean, on paper, I say it’s the biggest, for sure. This win will put me, obviously, up in the ranks, but it’ll do something more for my name.

“I think this fight ends with people going, ‘He’s one of the most skilled strikers of our generation.’ That’s what I’m thinking.”