“I was so scared to die” - Nico Carrillo shares harrowing story of getting stabbed as a teenager
Second-ranked ONE Championship bantamweight Muay Thai contender 'King of the North' Nico Carrillo of Scotland is one of the most revered Muay Thai fighters in the world today.
But if it weren't for a big change in early in his life, he wouldn't even be here now.
Speaking to Leather'd Podcast in a recent guest interview, Carrillo detailed a harrowing near-death experience of when he was a teenager.
'King of the North' recounted:
"A turning point for me was getting stabbed when I was 19 years old. And I remember lying in a hospital bed. Actually before I went to the hospital. I remember kind of bleeding out and I remember thinking to myself I've done f**k all in my life. I remember there were two things I thought about two things I thought about one was my fiance me I thought 'Oh f**k I’m going to lose her' and the second one was 'I'm not right'. I was so scared to die."
Carrillo continued:
"And I remember thinking I've done f**k all with my life. After coming out of that is what kind of pushed me on to forget where I was and get into new environments and be more professional and do this , just do the right things. Cliche, but it's true. You need to change your environment, you need to change the people around you."
Today, Carrillo is one of the best fighters in the world's largest martial arts organization. His experience has contributed to his maturity.
Nico Carrillo to challenge Superlek for ONE gold at ONE 170 on Prime Video
'King of the North' Nico Carrillo is set to challenge two-sport king 'The Kicking Machine' Superlek Kiatmoo9 of Thailand for the ONE bantamweight Muay Thai world title.
The two lock horns at ONE 170 on Prime Video, which broadcasts live in U.S. primetime from the historic Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, on Friday, January 24, 2025.
Fans in the United States and Canada can catch all the action live with an active Amazon Prime Video subscription.
Stay tuned to Sportskeeda MMA for all the latest news and updates surrounding the event as it happens.