Nico Carrillo says he's the next man in line for Jonathan Haggerty's Muay Thai crown: "That's the reason the rankings are there"

Rising Scottish sensation and current first-ranked ONE Championship bantamweight Muay Thai contender Nico Carrillo believes he's up next for a shot at ONE gold.

Carrillo is looking to challenge two-sport king Jonathan Haggerty of the United Kingdom for his ONE bantamweight Muay Thai world title. The 25-year-old stalwart says the rankings dictate that he's Haggerty's rightful challenger.

Speaking to the South China Morning Post in a recent interview, Carrillo says he can't wait to take on 'The General'.

The Deachkalek Muay Thai Academy and Sor Dechapan representative said:

"I'm number one in Muay Thai. Somebody else shouldn't jump in front of me. To fight Haggerty for the Muay Thai title, that's the reason the rankings are there."

The problem is that Haggerty isn't just the ruler in Muay Thai but also in kickboxing. 'The General' has also recently expressed interest in transitioning to mixed martial arts and coming after Fabricio Andrade's bantamweight MMA belt.

Suffice to say, there's a lot on Haggerty's plate, and 'King of the North' isn't his only option.

It will be interesting to see if a fight between Haggerty and Carrillo gets booked in the next few months.

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Nico Carrillo has ONE Championship gold on his mind: "That's where my attention would be on"

Truth be told, Nico Carrillo isn't just after taking on Jonathan Haggerty. Far more important is the prospect of becoming a ONE world champion.

Carrillo and Haggerty have traded barbs on social media and through interviews over the past few months. There's no denying the two are on a collision course. However, no matter who holds the belt, Carrillo said that's who he wants to fight, whether it's Haggerty or not.

Carrillo told South China Morning Post:

"That's where my attention would be on. I'm not chasing out names. I'm chasing out gold. I said it as soon as I signed with [ONE Championship]. When I went on the mic after my first fight against Furkan Karabag, I said I've got gold on my mind. That's it."