ONE: Fil-Am fighter KC Carlos confident ahead of debut vs Fairtex

KC Carlos makes her ONE debut. ONE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—Making a debut in an international outfit is always nerve-wracking, and KC Carlos knows that feeling.

Carlos isn’t just making her ONE Championship debut, she’s also jumping into her first professional fight and against a Muay Thai prospect in Wondergirl Fairtex.

An admittedly shy person, Carlos has to shake off her awkwardness and head on to her fight with confidence—a trait she, fortunately, has boatloads of.

“I am very shy and only really speak to those close to me. I care a lot about my family, close friends, and fight team. I don’t like to be around any negativity, so I try to surround myself with good and supportive people,” said Carlos. “From all the hard work put into this fight camp, I will fight my heart out and try to put on a good show.”

“I am a very dedicated and hard-working athlete who does not give up. I’ve been through some very rough times in my life, but I refused to let any of that stop me from what I wanted to achieve. I love what I do and I believe that passion shows in my training and fighting.”

The Filipino-American martial artist is aware of Fairtex’ skills and that she can’t afford to take her fight in ONE: A New Breed on Friday lackadaisically.

Fairtex is coming off a first round knockout of Australia’s Brooke Farrell in the ONE Super Series and Carlos knows how dangerous her opponent can get.

“Wondergirl is a tough and skilled fighter. I’m confident I will perform well, and give it all I got. It would be amazing to get the win and I will try my best to achieve that,” said Carlos.

“I’m a kicker! I’ve been kicking my whole life since my taekwondo days as a kid. I like to be fast, precise with power and aggressive. Other than kicking, I like to use all other weapons I have, depending on the situation, to make the fight unpredictable and also entertaining.”

Carlos will also carry the Philippine flag with her when she steps in the ring at Impact Arena, and that alone is a heavy responsibility.

The Philippines have been well-represented in ONE Championship with Brandon Vera, Eduard Folayang, Geje Eustaquio, Kevin Belingon, Joshua Pacio, and Honorio Banario all winning gold in the promotion.

There’s also legendary boxer Manny Pacquiao who ultimately became the face of Philippine fighting sports.

“I haven’t really gotten the chance to connect to my Filipino roots, at least not as much as I want to because I’ve been living in Thailand for a very long time. Filipinos have a strong heart and I am bringing my heart into this fight.”