Indian MMA: Meet the boys from Kings MMA Academy in Chandigarh

THE INTERNATIONAL HEALTH, SPORTS AND FITNESS FESTIVAL which was held in Mumbai this past month hosted a ton of Mixed Martial Arts action.

The AIMMAF Nationals and the Yoddha Fighting Championship were the major offerings for the combat sports fans that attended the event and it’s safe to say that no one went home disappointed.

The last day of the festival saw a strong card from YFC with fights spread across amateur, semi-professional and professional categories. And it was amidst this fight card that a group of fighters from the Kings MMA Academy in Chandigarh captured the attention of the fans in attendance.

Led by the fiery Suraj Kabir Verma, who was pumping up his warriors from the corner, these fighters stepped into the YFC cage and made a lasting statement.

Meet the show stealers:

Sagar Kaplish: He secured a unanimous decision win at the event, and is currently a student. He hails from Punjab and has been training at Kings Academy for the past six months.

Karminder Singh: An M-Tech student, Karminder fights in the 58KG category and is based out of Punjab just like Sagar. He has been training at the academy for two years and stumbled upon a hard-fought defeat at the YFC event.

Manish Rawat: A student based in Chandigarh, Manish Rawat went home with a second-round submission win via Rear Naked Choke. His journey with Kings Academy started six months back and has a boxing and grappling background.

Saurabh Nair: Saurabh was given a walkover at the event as his opponent was unavailable. A two year veteran in the Kings Academy, Saurabh is from Chandigarh and when he is not in the cage, he is busy as an IT Professional.

Ankit Jangir: A 35-second first-round TKO win is what made Ankit stand out at the YFC event. He is currently studying and hails from Rajasthan.

Masoom Ali: A professional Akhada Wrestler, Ali puts his rich wrestling experience to good use when he steps into the MMA cage. He joined Kings Academy six months back and has been a force to reckon with ever since.

Association with YFC and hopes of a bright future

The Kings Academy has been associated with YFC for nearly two years now. A string of fighters from the gym have already showcased their skills on the platform and the most notable one perhaps would be Anil Mehta.

[ Check out the inspiring story of Anil Mehta here: #TFGinterview: The Super cop that took up Combat Sports- In conversation with Anil Mehta]

When asked about the platform that Yoddha Fighting championship was giving for the fighters, Kabir had high praise for the promotion and the people behind it.

Suraj Kabir Verma: We are associated with YFC from last 2 years and have taken part in their most of the event in Delhi, Nagaland, Mumbai etc. We are really thankful for Jitendra Khare sir who is really doing very hard work to promote MMA at higher level. YFC is really great platform for amateur and professional fighters. They have prepared many international fighters in last some years. We are really happy that there is some organization which is working really hard for MMA sport.

He also credited the promotion for creating more interest among the combat sports fans and curbing the threat posed by an unorganized system.

Suraj Kabir Verma: Because of YFC, people started knowing about MMA sports. They have created that charm and interest in people about cage fight. Earlier, fighters used to say about getting cheated in national or district level tournaments and due to this partiality and cheating many fighters quit martial arts sports. But in YFC, it’s all regulated and professional. Only Knock out or tap out system along with safe rules and regulations. All the crew of YFC is trained and they do take care of each and every fighter who is associated with them.

Kabir, who is an MMA fighter himself, is sure that the Indian fighters will go on to make their mark on the international competitions in near future.

Suraj Kabir Verma: Soon people will definitely see India's fighters at higher international competitions with good quality sports on TV. India's fighters have so much of talent and potential. They just need good infrastructure and support from People and government too. People should encourage MMA and should come to see their fights and give them their blessings and all the support. The day is not far when MMA will become India's one of the most popular sport.

And beyond the violence and the adrenaline rush that cage fighting brings with it, there is something more that makes MMA worth pursuing.

Suraj Kabir Verma: MMA is not an easy sports. It needs hell lot of dedication and patience. Fighters are not made in seconds or months. Moreover they should understand that MMA is not only to become a cage fighter. It helps in developing stamina, confidence, fitness, courage etc. day by day MMA is getting popular. People are joining it for fitness needs as well.

When concluding, Kabir mentioned that there is a lot more to come from him and his boys in the future and anyone who has seen them perform would hardly doubt the claim.

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