MMA can become the next big thing in India, says Sangram Singh

Remember Sangram Singh ?  The former Commonwealth heavyweight champion wrestler, who became the first MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) fighter in India when he took his bow two years back, is in the news again as he braces to take on Frenchman Florian Coudiere next in Tigre, Buenos Aires on Sunday (5 April).

This will be his third fight in the MMA ring after two successful bouts in last two years, though the challenge is getting increasingly tougher for the 40-year-old—whose upcoming opponent is at least 15 years younger. Having switched over to professional boxing back in 2012, he had tried his hand in acting as well as appearance in captive TV reality shows before taking the plunge in a format which is gaining toehold in India.

‘’Age is just a number for me. I have decided to take up this challenge as the MMA is slowly getting popular in India—I want to take the sport among the B cities and inspire the youth to take up the sport as a career,’’ Sangram said during an exclusive chat with National Herald on the eve of leaving for Argentina.

The MMA, for the uninitiated, is a freewheeling sport which combines elements of wrestling, boxing, taekwondo and jiu jitsu and fought inside a cage—which makes for a thrilling spectator viewing though it’s often criticised for the excessive violence on display. The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is considered as the top flight show of this genre, which has Dana White as it’s main promoter with the US President Donald Trump as his biggest backer.

''The UFC is the highest bracket of MMA but it does not really produce fighters. They parade the top fighters and monetise it with pay-per-view TV etc., but MMA builds up fighters from the grassroots,'' observed Sangram.

The last two years saw Sangram beating Pakistan’s Ali Raza Nasir in 2024 in Tblisi, Georgia and following it up with a win over Turkish Hakim Trabelsi in Amsterdam last year—though the fighter feels he could take on more doubts on the calendar with adequate support. ‘’My last fight was in November and I am ready to fight every month but it’s not in my hands. Each of these fights require a lot of support but I am hopeful that in four to five years’ time, the country can develop in combat sport."

‘’There are at least a lakh of children doing MMA in the country. I can sense it as these days, I am often recognized in the airports of cities in Ahmedabad, Delhi and Bengaluru,’’ said Sangram, who claims to adhering to a few principles in order to be a role model for the aspiring fighters. ‘’I do acting but don’t promote cold drinks, gutkha etc. I don’t drink tea or coffee and have been a vegetarian. I want to keep going as long as I can,’’ he said.

Looking ahead, Sangram shared his vision for the sport: “It is great that MMA will now be included in the Asian Games. It has the potential to become a major sport in India.’’

What would be his tips if any wrestler (a sport which has given India significant podium finishes on the big stage) wants to chart a career in professional MMA, Sangram said: “If wrestlers want to move into professional wrestling or MMA, they have to work twice as hard, because it takes a long time and requires a different skill set. Hard work is essential if you want to perform on the world stage.’’