Pride of India: Unbeaten Indian fighter Anshul Jubli faces Kyung Pyo Kim in the Road to UFC Semifinal
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Anshul Jubli (L) takes on Kyung Pyo Kim (R) in the Road to UFC semifinals on 23rd October
MMA fans from India and abroad, if you haven’t heard the name Anshul Jubli, you are seriously missing out!
The Road to UFC is a one-of-a-kind MMA tournament which pits top-tier MMA fighters from China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, the Philippines, Thailand and other countries to fight their way through to win a contract for the UFC.
Making India proud, is Anshul Jubli, who has progressed to the semi-final of the competition and faces pretty tough opposition in South Korean Kyung Pyo Kim next on the 23rd of October, in Abu Dhabi. Jubli also boasts of an undefeated record, so one can absolutely expect an all-out war for the elusive UFC contract.
Anshul Jubli did not compete in the quarterfinals of the tournament – he progressed in lieu of his opponent making weight. Jubli, who amassed a glorious career in the amateur circuit, mostly fought under the Matrix Fight Night Promotions, an Indian MMA promotion that hosts its events in Dubai.
Interestingly, Jubli who hails from Uttarakhand, India, was previously a math tutor. [H/T TheBetterIndia]
Anshul Jubli’s entrance into the UFC could spark the MMA scene in India
The Indian fighter’s last win came by submission, when he choked out Mohammad Mahmoudian at Matrix Fight Nights 6. Jubli’s official record is 5-0 in professional MMA, while his opponent has an 11-3 record.
While it is true that Jubli’s opponent is 11-3, and that he is undefeated, it also means that Kim has nine more fights under his belt. And, Jubli’s last opponent Mahmoudian does not really match up to Kim. However, that only makes the deal sweeter.
If Anshul Jubli is able to establish his dominance over Kim, and then go on to win the final, which would mean he subsequently wins a UFC contract, the landscape of Indian MMA could be changed forever. The last time an Indian fighter competed in the UFC was Bharat Khandare, whose last fight in the promotion was a submission loss to Song Yadong, in 2017.
While the sport of MMA has a base in India, it is nowhere near popular. While boxing has some sort of a fanbase, the same cannot be said for the sport held within an octagon. Hence, Jubli has his task cut out for him – to not only win a UFC contract and make his country proud, but to also make sure that people know about the sport in his native country. And, surely, Dana White would like the sport to grow in South Asia as well.
If he does win a UFC contract, he can count on his fellow countrymen to support him through till the end!
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Udayan Mukherjee
(382 Articles Published)