Anshul Jubli’s UFC induction via the ‘Road To UFC’ tournament lit up a ray of hope in the hearts of Indian MMA fighters. This is why the number of Indian MMA fighters competing in the latest season of Road To UFC hit an all-time high of four. Previous reports revealed that the four fighters representing India in Road To UFC 3 will be Angad Bisht, Kiru Singh Sahota, Kiran Singh, and Priya Sharma. However, Indians have some more news to get excited as the UFC authorities recently disclosed who they will be facing in the initial stage of the tournament.
It’s pertinent to note that the males, Angad Bisht, and Kiru Singh Sahota, will be competing in the flyweight division. Whereas, both the Indian females, Kiran Singh, and Priya Sharma will lock horns against strawweights. A report from ‘MyKhel’ revealed that the 9-3 record-holding Angad Bisht will take on the Filipino fighter, John Almanza, for his first Road To UFC 3 fight. It also unveiled that Kiru Singh Sahota, who currently holds a 10-2 pro-MMA record, will take on Yin Shuai from China.
However, both the female Indian fighters, Kiran and Priya will have Chinese dance partners in the initial stage of Road To UFC 3. The report disclosed that Kiran Singh will lock horns against Feng Xiaocan, while Priya will take on Dong Huaxiang in their first fights.
ROAD TO UFC Season 3 opening round begins May 18th and 19th. pic.twitter.com/3dKSwBWOZy
— COMBAT SPORTS TODAY (@CSTodayNews) April 23, 2024
All the initial stage fights will take place within the dates of 18 to 19 May, as revealed by the UFC authorities. Competing fighters will be able to confirm their places in the semifinals of the tournament once they manage to get the better of their initial-stage rivals.
It’s quite apparent that the entire country of India will be cheering for their beloved fighters on 18 and 19 May. Unfortunately, Indian fighters haven’t been able to win a UFC main roster fight to date despite two fighters from the country appearing in them. However, this fact can also change in about a month, courtesy of Puja Tomar.
Puja Tomar is also making Indians dream apart from Anshul Jubli and the Road To UFC 3 contestants
The initiation of a process often turns out to be the hardest part of its entirety. It won’t be wrong to say that Indian MMA fighters bear testimony to this phenomenon. The first Indian to appear in a UFC main roster fight was Bharat Khandare who took the octagon on November 25, 2017 against the Chinese UFC featherweight, Song Yadong.
Despite some initial resistance, Khandare tapped out to a guillotine choke by Yadong in the first round. Indian MMA fans also had their hope shattered after ‘King Of Lions’ Jubli got KO-ed in the third round of his first UFC main roster fight.
But the renowned Indian strawweight, Puja Tomar, is making her countrymen dream about achieving the first UFC main roster victory. The UFC authorities recently revealed that ‘The Cyclone’ from India will lock horns against Rayanne Dos Santos on June 8 at UFC Fight Night, Louisville. With Tomar standing on the verge of earning her first UFC main roster victory and the four contestants in the ‘Road To UFC 3’, Indians have every reason to dream big about their future in the UFC.
