MMA on the Up and Up in India

March 30, 2020 Guest Posts Fusion WeRIndia No comments

It was around one year ago when the Ozy.com website released a piece of writing surrounding the increasing interest in MMA within India. That looked at both the growing number of fighters coming from the country, as well as the growing market for it there. Still today, it remains on the up and up, with India Treasurer of the IMMAR-WMMAA, Ajit Sigamani saying that it is actually the fastest-growing sport in India.

“In India, viewership and interest is tremendous. Indians love a good fight”, Sigamani continued. It’s been quite the battleground for promotions offering MMA fights as well, with companies like Kumite 1 League, ONE Championship and Super Fight League all looking to provide their fights to the country. Yet, UFC manoeuvred its way in to sign a deal with Sony India, providing content for the whole area instead. No doubt, UFC sees quite the potential as far as the Indian market is concerned.

Speaking of the deal that was signed, Chief Revenue Officer of Sony Pictures India, Rajesh Kaul said that the UFC has “garnered a dedicated fan base over the past few years and is one of the most-watched fight sports properties in India”. He went on to comment that because of the growing demand for it, the Sony Ten 2 channels will telecast both live events and non-live content for fans.

And it seems as though UFC isn’t the only MMA promotion taking its custom abroad. The fan base for such sport has been found outside of the United States, and obviously, the promotions are looking to take full advantage of that.

The Beginning for Indian MMA

It’s not only the promotions that are looking to cash in on the increased demand for MMA, but online sportsbooks, too. This has been a popular category for bettors to place wagers at their chosen sports betting sites on. Should you have the same desire to bet on MMA fights, be they UFC or otherwise, then you could follow the 1xBet mirror links, which are on hand at Efirbet. By doing so, you’ll be able to access the 1xBet sportsbook and register for an account. Then, you can place your own wagers on your favourite fighters, events and more.

Speaking as a fighter who operates under the ONE banner, Himanshu Kaushik said that he believes this is still the very beginning for Indian MMA. “I feel after some time we will also win titles”, he mentioned, before stating that the country is very behind the entire international scene. However, he has hopes for good gyms to be opened up, allowing fighters to get good opportunities in the process.

Other fighters in India that have received some recognition as Kaushik already has, include Ritu Phogat and Asha Roka. As a gold medallist from the 2016 Commonwealth Wrestling Championships, Phogat went on to sign with ONE last year. At only 25-years-old, she’s hoping to carry on improving every step of the way. With regard to Roka, she’s known in India as “The Knockout Queen”. She’s also been fighting for ONE ever since 2019, and she went on to win the bronze medal in the boxing World Championships in Bulgaria back in 2013. As things stand at the moment, she has a 7-0 record.