#TFGinterview: India will soon make its presence felt in every global MMA promotion -- Paulo Da Silva

Brazilian MMA Veteran and sparring partner to UFC legend Anderson Silva, Paulo "Bananada" Gonçalves Silva is all set to fight his first MMA bout in India. 

Paulo has a strong fanbase in Mumbai after he visited India in October 2015 to train students in MMA and conducted seminars across India. He has announced that his fight in Brave is dedicated to all his Indian students and for the city of Mumbai. Clearly a fan favourite, he is thrilled to back in India. He intends to extend his stay in India and reach out to his fans during his visit.

The veteran from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil has won 22 times out of his 33 appearances. He will be competing for the first time on Indian soil.

Training at the X-Gym camp alongside Anderson Silva, he had been an integral part of the camps for the UFC legend. Paulo won his last fight in January against Nilson Pereira at the German MMA Championships held at Inselparkhalle in Hamburg, Germany. Paulo is one of the athletes who has witnessed the growth of MMA from the initial days of Vale Tudo. From unsanctioned fist fights to the modern day MMA, he has witnessed the growth and progress of the sport. Paulo is overwhelmed to see the transformation underwent in the Indian sports and especially in the MMA industry.

"India is a land of many ancient forms of martial arts. It is a great learning experience to visit India each time. This time the change is exciting. There is a surge in the infrastructure and popularity when it comes to MMA. It is vital for Mixed Martial Arts to flourish in a much secure way that ensures quality of life and training for its athletes. I believe the visible change in Indian MMA will be in the amateur division. They have the right pedigree and focus. When they gain enough experience they will be the change the world of MMA is looking for."

Bananada had already visited his friends and students in Mumbai and is prepared for his opponent from Mexico.

"We are both aggressive fighters. But experience and skill are on my side. Each visit to India is a positive experience. I want to make this visit remarkable and a victory is the only way by which I can make it worthwhile. I am glad that Brave Combat Federation has big plans for India. This makes visiting India even more exciting.", said Paulo.

Mumbai will host the first ever Brave Combat Federation fight night on 23rd April at Dome NSCI. Brave Combat Federation’s sixth instalment is set to take place on April 29th, in Almaty City, Kazakhstan. The first ever event for the Bahrain-based promotion in Central Asia will be headlined by the lightweight showdown between Russia’s Eldar Eldarov and Henrique “Rasputin” Gomes.