SAN DIEGO — For many people, the best motivation for accomplishing a goal is to have people tell you you'll fail. In this Zevely Zone, I met a youth mixed martial arts champion ready to take on the world.
If you have not heard the name, Kahlil Pilacin, he's becoming a modern-day Rocky Balboa. The 15-year-old had one dream growing up. He wanted to become a ninja. Kahlil begged his mother Cherish for mixed martial arts training.
"He had this gym picked out that he had been eyeballing for a long time and I was like okay yeah, no problem and I went online and saw the monthly price and I said I cannot do that right now son, I just can't, and he was just let down," said Cherish.
The single mother eventually found a more affordable gym and Khalil got to work.
Kahlil outworked thousands of children his age across the country to become the number one ranked youth MMA fighter in his weight class in the nation.
I have worked incredibly hard, I have worked at a non-stop pace for like two years straight," said Kahlil. The teenager seems so mellow in person but when he gets into the cage he turns into a different.
"Yeah, lots of adrenaline," said Kahlil. The teen said he finds motivation from his father who told him repeatedly he was wasting his time which drove him to try harder.
"It did. I used that you know, I am not going to let him tell me I can't do something, my own dad, I ain't going to let that slide, I'll get this done I'll put in the work just to prove him wrong," said Kahlil.
Earlier in 2023, Kahlil became the USA Youth National Champion. "It was a huge adrenaline dump," said Kahlil. The win qualified Kahlil for the World Championships in Abu Dhabi but travelling overseas is expensive.
"It's very expensive," said Kahlil. So, he collected cans and bottles by the truckload to raise money and even sold homemade lemonade and jerky.
"I know it sounds kind of silly when you think lemonade stand you think little kids you know but I managed to raise over a grand," said Kahlil. "Whatever it takes, we were out there for like 8 hours at the park it was really tiring but it was worth it."
All 14- to 15-year-olds in the 148-pound class had better watch out. "I want it so bad," said Kahlil.
"I became a ninja, a real-life ninja." Kahlil Pilacin wants to win for his country and then turn pro, so you may want to get his autograph now.
Kahlil leaves for the World Championships on July 27. If you'd like to make a donation to his GoFundMe page, click here.