The Scottish striker, who secured a stunning second-round TKO victory over Sitthichai Sitsongpeenong at ONE Fight Night 30 in April, described meeting the former UFC Welterweight Champion as eye-opening.
Iconic figures in combat sports, especially St-Pierre, tend to have an aura about them. But Carrillo was in awe of how humble the Canadian superstar was when they worked together on the mats.
“It was a very surreal moment,” he said.
“You have this image of people in your head, and then like, he’s just a normal guy, just like me, just like you. He’s just sound.”
The meeting with St-Pierre has had a lasting impact on the 26-year-old’s mindset. He now feels inspired to embody the same humility and approachable qualities that made the MMA legend so beloved throughout his career.
Carrillo has become acutely aware of how he can affect others and the importance of maintaining a positive demeanour, regardless of personal circumstances.
“You know the saying, ‘Never meet your heroes’? Yeah, well, I would like to be the opposite of that saying. I want people to meet me and go, ‘Yeah, he’s everything that I expected him to be,'” he revealed.
“I’m very switched on to the fact like, no matter how I feel, I can be having a bad day, but when somebody wants to come up and ask for a picture and stuff, I just turn it on, smile, be happy, because you don’t know – you might have made their day.
“You don’t know the effect you have on other people. So that’s why, as I said earlier on, in this world where you can be one thing, be kind, because you don’t know how much that affects people.”
