Sanagram Singh Hopes to Blaze a Trail for Indian MMA Fighters
With how the UFC has grown over the past 15 years, it’s hard to remember that mixed martial arts is still young compared to many sports. With the UFC only being a little more than 30 years old, this is one of the first generations to grow up with realistic aspirations of competing in the sport on a professional level. India has a population of 1.4 billion people, and only two men have reached the top level of MMA.
Looking at MMAfighting latest news shows, several athletes may be positioning themselves to break through that glass ceiling. The UFC has done a lot more in the Middle East over the past year, but the nation of India may be positioning itself for some growth. Sangram Singh became the first Indian wrestler to win a MMA fight.
Singh won at the Gama International Fighting Championship. He’s hoping that his victory will help spur a movement and spark interest in fans getting behind athletes competing in combat sports.
Who is Sangram Singh?
Singh, 39, made his name in professional wrestling. Back in 1999, Singh started out with the Delhi Police. His style proved to be popular, and he eventually worked his way up the ranks in Indian professional wrestling.
Singh was named World’s Best Professional Wrestler by the World Wrestling Professionals in 2012. Fans of Singh’s wrestling style appreciated the pace and stamina that he could work at. The mixture of MMA and professional wrestling has a long lineage.
While Dan Severn and Ken Shamrock were both UFC tournament champions, they also had opportunities inside of the wrestling ring as well. Shamrock and Severn both spent time in the WWE in the 1990s.
Shamrock became famous when fighting in Pancrase, which is a combat sport that is more modeled after professional wrestling.
Singh Would like to Build Something
Singh didn’t waste much time during his first fight in the cage. He bullied Pakistani fighter Ali Raza Nasir not long after the fight started. Singh would end up locking up a submission victory just 97 seconds into the fight.
When asked about the fight afterward, Singh talked about how he wanted to honor his home nation with the win. Now that Singh has proven it is possible for an Indian wrestler to win, he would like to see the government get behind the athletes who would like to train.
“I am immensely proud to bring this victory home for India,” Singh said. “It is my hope that acknowledgement on a global scale will motivate the Indian government to implement programs that support mixed martial arts and inspire young people to pursue the sport. I have no doubt that this will encourage a great deal of young athletes to find their inner strength, strive for greatness, and overcome obstacles in the mixed martial arts world.”
Puja Tomar Has Found Success
There haven’t been many Indian fighters who have reached the UFC. Puja Tomar became the first Indian woman to reach the world’s top MMA promotion this summer. While Tomar didn’t have an easy debut, she was successful in getting her hand raised.
Tomar beat Rayanne Amanda by split decision last June. But the best MMA news site shows that Tomar had to take her lumps before eventually finding success. Tomar found her way to ONE Championship in 2018, but it wouldn’t end up going well.
Tomar had four fights in the promotion and lost three. During Tomar’s last fight in ONE, against now-champion Stamp Fairtex in January 2020, she lost via first-round TKO. Tomar was 4-4 following the loss, but has gotten things together since.
Tomar has now collected five straight wins, including three by KO, and the UFC should provide her with more opportunities.
Jubli Still Has Something to Prove
Anshul Jubli became the second men’s fighter from India to sign with the UFC in 2022. Jubli took the hard road to reach the top organization. After compiling a 5-0 record on the regional scene, he was signed by the UFC to compete in the Road to UFC Season 1 Lightweight Tournament.
This tournament was the brainchild of the UFC brass to allow the top Asian prospects to compete in a tournament to earn contracts. The UFC has always sought to be a global brand and wants to find talent from everywhere in the world.
Jubli won the tournament by collecting two victories. He had to sweat out a split-decision win over Kim Kyung-pyo in the semifinals. In the finals, Jubli took out Indonesia fighter Jeka Saragih in the second round with punches and elbows that led to a TKO.
When Jubli made his debut in October 2023, he saw what made transitioning from the regional scene to the UFC rough. Jubli’s opponent Mike Breeden came in overweight. While Jubli struck well for the first two rounds, he ultimately ran out of gas and was knocked out in the third round.
Jubli will have an opportunity to bounce back but still has a lot to prove under the bright lights.
Will Singh’s Win Resonate?
India doesn’t have as big of a presence on the national stage in many sports like other countries its size. According to the Business Standard, India only 10.4 percent of sports in India are funded to an Olympic level. During the recent Olympics in Paris, India sent 117 athletes to the Olympics and earned five bronze medals and a silver medal.
India finished 71st in the medal table among all countries who competed. When Singh called for government investment, he was seeking funds to help provide the right training to get athletes started in MMA. At Singh’s age, it is unlikely he would climb the ladder to the UFC.
However, Singh winning a fight in a regional promotion should help inspire others to pursue the same road.
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By Dean McHugh.
