#TFGinterview: Ateet Kelvin Gupta talks his Rivalry with Anastasius, his beginnings and more

AN INCIDENT IN 2011 was what steered Ateet Kelvin Gupta into the world of Mixed Martial Arts. That year, when he was out with his girlfriend in Bangalore, four drunkards passed some lewd comments and threatened to stab Ateet.

Feeling helpless, Ateet moved back to Kolkata after the incident and enrolled himself under Nuur Bhutia. This was the beginning of his combat sports journey.

Ateet Kelvin Gupta: I must say that I've never felt weak and helpless again. I was the first person to walk in and the last to walk out of the gym every day. I got addicted to getting my ass kicked regularly!

Six months into training and Ratul Mukherjee, who trained alongside me, offered me an underground fight which I gladly accepted and won. Since then I always knew what I wanted to do. I wanted to be the baddest man on the planet and as the days pass, I am getting closer.

Around six years later, Ateet holds a mixed martial arts record of 5-1 to his name and is one of the most popular names in the Kolkata MMA scene.

And on November 26, he will be looking to avenge that only loss in his career when he steps into the cage against Anastasius for the BOOM MMA event at FIT EXPO. The main event of the night, the showdown between Ateet and Anastasius has gone on to become one of the most interesting rivalries in Indian MMA.

It started last year when Anastasius handed Ateet’s first defeat and subsequently became the promotion’s Bantamweight champion.

When asked about how he felt about the result, Ateet mentioned that he had already won before he stepped into the cage.

Ateet Kelvin Gupta: I didn't care about the defeat that day at all, in my eyes I had won long before the fight even finished. I was just proud of myself that I got more than 500 people to come and watch me and shout out my name.  Going back and watching the fight again I realized that the only mistakes I made during that fight were on the ground.  I thought my striking was spot on. This time everyone will see a new Ateet Kelvin. I'll be bigger, stronger and faster than before.

The stakes are clearly high for the upcoming fight and Ateet has shifted his gears as well when it comes to preparations. This time around, the lessons from his last fight would be fuelling him.

Ateet Kelvin Gupta: I've realized that he is extremely powerful for a person his size and weight and I plan to get that powerful myself. I have added a lot of strength and endurance workouts into my daily routine. I've been sparring every day so that I can keep my fight stamina up. The most important change I’ve made in my training is to continuously put myself in really bad situations and try to find my way out of it. This will only help keep me comfortable in tough situations.

Even though there is a lot of effort being put in by Ateet, he knows the fine line between being personal and being professional.

Ateet Kelvin Gupta: This guy has been my toughest competition to date and I really want to beat him. It's not a personal grudge nor does the belt matter. For me, it's always been just about learning how to fight better. The only way to test that is to keep fighting good guys. Especially the guy who defeated you last. All I have to tell him (Anastasius) is that as a fighter he has taught me all that he possibly could. I know his limitations and there is nothing new that he can teach me. I have evolved past his level. It's time for him to step down from his throne.

If Ateet gets a win at the upcoming BOOM MMA event against Anastasius, both fighters will have one win each, which in turn could lead to a trilogy fight. Ateet feels that it would be a great show for the fans if it happens.

Ateet Kelvin Gupta:  I sure hope so. As a fighter, I'm ready to put on a show for my fans, each and every time they desire to watch me fight. We just need to speak to the promotion and get it done. Boom will definitely benefit from this as it could be eastern India's biggest MMA rivalry.

The rivalry has already captured the attention of the combat sports fans in the region and on November 26, a new chapter will be unfolded in the saga and that too, after one whole year.

TFG BONUS: Ateet on his respect and hopes of facing Mohammed Farhad one day:

Ateet Kelvin Gupta: I would like to face Mohammed Farhad of Brave Combat Federation one day. He is someone whom I have watched for a long time. I think he is really an amazing fighter and I just want to test my skills against his to see where I stand and how far I need to go. I hope people don't misunderstand me, I have huge respect for the guy and it's just about me figuring out my own level in this business.

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