Ever since its inception, UFC’s growth has been heavily dependent on finding new superstars and untapped markets. When looking at it through that lens, it is surprising that India, being the most populated country in the world, is still severely under-tapped by the promotion. In fact, MMA as a sport is not nearly as developed in India as it is in other countries such as the United States. However, the promotion’s latest venture aims to provide a platform that will help fighters from the Southeast Asian region follow in the footsteps of UFC stars Anshul Jubli and Pooja Tomar.
‘Road to UFC’ is a win-and-advance tournament that the UFC uses as proving grounds for emerging talents. The third season of this tournament is set to take place from 18th to 19th May 2024. This season will have four divisions, namely bantamweight, featherweight, flyweight, and women’s strawweight.
The competition will feature 32 participants from various countries including Japan, South Korea, China, India, and more. Subsequently, the winner in each bracket will be awarded a fight contract by the promotion. Readers might also be interested to know that the event will take place at the UFC Performance Institute in Shanghai and will cost the promotion a whopping $13 million.
Among the 32 participants taking part in the event, there are four Indians: Angad Bisht and Kiru Singh Sahota in the flyweight division as well as Kiran Singh and Priya Sharma in the women’s flyweight division. The Indian fighters involved in the event will be aiming to retrace the steps of Anshul Jubli and Pooja Tomar in signing with the world leader in MMA promotions. Hence, it will be interesting to see if they can overcome the tough competition to do so.
A closer look at the four Indian fighters with a shot at joining the UFC
Unfortunately for the Indian MMA fan base, not all four fighters will be able to make it to the UFC. In the best-case scenario, only two will get to sign a contract with the promotion. Angad Bisht is currently on a four-fight win streak with an overall record of 9-2. His compatriot Kiru Singh Sahota has a record of 10-2 and is fresh off a first-round knockout win in his most recent outing.
On the other hand, both Priya Sharma and Kiran Singh are on a two-fight win streak, with a 5-1 record and a 7-3 record, respectively. Considering how prestigious an offer from the UFC is, Indian MMA fans hope that the fighters from the region will be able to catch Dana White’s eye.
