Menlo College

Competing against the world’s best fighters on one of taekwondo’s biggest stages, Menlo Men’s Taekwondo sophomore Nicholas Carlo highlighted the international trip with an opening round victory at the 2025 Muju Grand Prix in Muju, South Korea.

Challenging Ibrahima Diallo of Guinea in his first matchup within the men’s +80kg division, Nicholas consistently delivered successful counterattacks to secure the 6-2 win in the first round. Then, in a second round loaded with offensive strikes, the San Diego native triumphed over his opponent 15-11 for the 2-0 score and advancement to the next contest.

Nicholas would then draw the #3 seed Marat Mavlonov of Uzbekistan and, despite delivering a lightning quick roundhouse kick to the head in the first round, the Menlo sophomore could not get past his opponent who went on to reach the quarterfinals. Nicholas gained valuable experience on the trip as he fully embraced the opportunity to demonstrate his talents globally.