Fifteen-year-old Kahlil Piracin collected cans and sold lemonade to raise money for a trip to the World Championships in Abu Dhabi.
SAN DIEGO — For many people, the biggest motivator to achieve a goal is being told they will fail. Here in Zebree Zone, I met a young mixed martial arts champion who is ready to take on the world.
If you’ve never heard the name Khalil Piracin, he’s becoming a modern-day Rocky Balboa. When he was 15 years old, he had one dream while growing up. he wanted to be a ninja. Kahlil begged his mother Cherish to train him in mixed martial arts.
“He had me pick this gym that I’ve had my eye on for a long time, and I was like, okay, no problem. Then I looked at the monthly rates online and said, “I can’t do it right now, son.” , I can’t do it.’ And he was just disappointed,” Cherish said.
The single mother eventually found a more affordable gym, and Khalil went back to work.
Kahlil surpassed thousands of kids his age across the country to become the number one ranked youth mixed martial artist in his weight class in the country.
“I’ve worked incredibly hard. I’ve been working non-stop for about two years straight,” Carlile said.
“Yeah, there’s a lot of adrenaline going on,” Carlile said. The boy said his father repeatedly told him it was a waste of time, which motivated him to try harder.
“That’s it. You know, I’m not going to let him tell me I can’t do something, my father, I’m not going to ignore it, I’m going to get through this, I’m going to put it down. “I came into the job just to prove him wrong,” Carlile said.
In early 2023, Kahlil became the U.S. Youth National Champion. “There was a huge adrenaline rush,” Carlile said. The win earned Kahlil a spot at the World Championships in Abu Dhabi, but international travel is expensive.
“It’s very expensive,” Kahlil said. So he collected truckloads of cans and bottles to raise money, and also sold homemade lemonade and jerky.
“It might sound a little silly when you think of lemonade stands and you think of little kids, but I managed to raise over $1 million,” Carlile said. “Anyway, we spent about eight hours in the park. It was really tiring, but it was worth it.”
14- to 15-year-olds in the 148-pound weight class should be careful. “I want it so bad,” Kahlil said.
“I became a ninja, a real ninja.” Kahlil Piracin wants to win for his country and turn pro, so he might want to get his autograph now.
Kahlil leaves for the World Championships on July 27th. If you would like to donate to his GoFundMe page, click here.
