"That's what they don't see" - Nico Carrillo says no one knows the sacrifices he's made on his way to the top

The rise of Nico Carrillo has been one of the biggest stories in ONE Championship over the past few years.

Since debuting in April last year, he has won four fights in a row and finished every opponent in devastating fashion, announcing himself as the next challenger for the bantamweight Muay Thai world championship.

Though for many fans, Carrillo emerged out of nowhere and has shot his way right to the top of the division, this doesn't tell the full story.

During a recent appearance on the Leather'd Podcast, Carrillo spoke about how people only see what he accomplishes in the ring instead of how he does it:

"Here's a picture of the iceberg. And the water's here, here's the tip of the iceberg [very minimal on the surface] and the rest of the iceberg is here [under the water]. So what people see is in the ring, this part of the iceberg, you're getting your hand raised, that's all the tip."

The No. 2-ranked bantamweight Muay Thai contender continued, elaborating on everything that he has put into his career that the fans don't get to witness:

"But what they don't see is what's underneath the water, they don't see what's underneath the tip of the iceberg, the dark blue misty water, the hard work, the sweat, the tears, the injuries. The sacrifice, the parties that you missed, the time off family that you missed... That's what they don't see. But in order to get that good, we must suffer."

Check out the full podcast below:

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Nico Carrillo is ready to reap the rewards of his hard work and sacrifice

You can bet that anyone who has made it to the elite level like Nico Carrillo, they've put in years of hard work, discipline, and sacrifice.

Moments like Carrillo's next fight at ONE 170 on Jan. 24 are what everyone is working towards when they go through this tough process.

At the Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand, he will attempt to reap the rewards of his dedication when challenging Superlek Kiatmoo9 for the ONE bantamweight Muay Thai world championship.