A Look at MMA in India: Can India Produce a UFC Champion?
In a nation where cricket reigns supreme, a new contender is stepping into the spotlight—Mixed Martial Arts (MMA).
As Indians diversify their sporting interests, the triumph of Arjan Singh Bhullar with ONE Championship has stirred conversations about India’s potential in the global MMA arena.
The question looming large: Can India produce a UFC champion? How popular is MMA in the country in the first place? Does India already have significant fighters on the international scene? We’ll explore all that in this article.
MMA’s Emergence in India and Its Current State
MMA is mostly popular in the US and UK, but it has been steadily gaining a fanbase in different parts of the world including India. Although it’s surely not as popular as cricket, Rajesh Kaul, the Head of Sports Business at Sony Pictures Networks India, mentioned that there are around 100 million MMA followers in the country.
In particular, The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is what’s most popular to the locals. It’s also popular with sports betting enthusiasts, and this is why popular betting apps in the country usually have Indian MMA betting odds.
When it comes to professional fighters, the names of “The Notorious” Connor McGregor and Ronda Rousey, are some of the most talked about.
Now, it’s also worth noting that around 44% of MMA viewers or followers in the country are women. This shows that MMA viewership in India has a well-balanced ratio in terms of gender, and that could only be good.
But why are women also interested in this sport? A former wrestler and Commonwealth Games gold medalist, Ritu Phogat, shared that she believes that MMA is one of the sports that can empower women. This is why she has already transitioned to MMA.
That also means that it’s another sport that could give female athletes a platform to showcase their skills and compete at the highest level.
True enough, the country already has its first Indian woman fighter who won the amateur world championships, and that’s Vridhi Kumari Singhvi. This is the highest platform in the amateur scene in the country.
Speaking of MMA platforms, the governing body in the country is MMA India. It is affiliated with the International Mixed Martial Arts Federation (IMMAF), which is the governing body for amateur mixed martial arts. IMMAF is then a partner of UFC.
So, for now, that’s the closest reach the country has to UFC. MMA India is now recognized by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and now covers 30 states and union territories in India.
Prominent Indian Fighters in the International MMA Scene
Since we’re already mentioning noteworthy Indian fighters, let’s go ahead and take a look at more of them who have already been making waves on the international MMA stage.
- Bharat Kandare: Kandare is the first Indian MMA fighter to be featured on the UFC stage. He hails from Kolhapur, Maharashtra, and before the MMA, he was first known as a boxer.
- Arjan Singh Bhullar: As mentioned, Bhullar has a One Championship belt, and he’s recently been the talk of the local scene because he wanted to be called the first Indian-origin fighter. While that’s debatable, he’s surely one of India’s talented fighters at the moment.
- Mohammed Farhad: Farhad is a pro-MMA fighter who we already saw compete in the Super Fight League and Brave Combat Federation. The 32-year-old fighter is from Belgaum, Karnataka.
- Gurdarshan Mangat: Gurdarshan Mangat, known as “Saint Lion,” has also already competed at the Brave Combat Federation and One Championship. While he was born in Canada, Mangat is representing India in the global MMA arena.
Conclusion: The Path to a UFC Champion
The quest for a UFC champion from India is not just a sporting aspiration; it symbolizes a significant leap in the country’s global sports presence. As Indian fighters continue to make strides internationally, the dream of producing a UFC champion becomes more plausible.
While the MMA India governing body already exists, we can’t say it’s close to what cricket has, which is the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). A lot of work should still be put into promoting India’s MMA local scene.
For now, the popularity of platforms like the UFC somehow only places the country as spectators. However, we can’t deny that the country is starting to penetrate the scene with its talented fighters.
The key here is to make the sport more widespread in the country. The more locals start to show interest, the more talented athletes they can produce. For now, we can only wait and see where India’s local MMA scene will be heading.
