Even as Indian wrestlers reel under the shock of the sport having been dropped from the 2020 Olympics, here’s some good news.
People behind the Ultimate Fighting Championship — touted to be the world’s premier mixed martial arts (MMA) organisation — believe Indian wrestlers will have a lucrative alternate career option very soon. MMA is a contest between two athletes using a combination of combat disciplines including boxing, Greco-Roman wrestling, freestyle wrestling, judo, taekwondo, kickboxing, karate, jiu-jitsu and Thai boxing. And UFC believes India’s traditional wrestling prowess could make its fighters a force to reckon with.
London silver medallist Sushil Kumar and bronze medallist Yogeshwar Dutt. Pics/Getty Images
“It’s great to have talent and national heroes and that’s what we
looked at while coming to India. India is a very promising and emerging
market for UFC and we are looking at it very seriously. We realise that
India is a predominantly cricket nation but even football is currently
growing there and MMA will build too.
Wrestling is big in India. It has got a very strong culture and tradition,” said Gary Cook, managing director and executive vice-president Europe, Middle East and Africa, during the open workout session ahead of Saturday’s UFC event at the Ericsson Globe Arena here.
Wrestling roots
Ilir Latifi who will make his UFC debut on Saturday, started off as a wrestler. Latifi has been called on to replace light heavyweight fighter and local boy Alexander ‘The Mauler’ Gustafsson after the latter suffered a cut above his left eye and was ruled out of Saturday’s feature fight against Gegard Mousasi. “I believe if you have a good wrestling base, it facilitates the transition to being a MMA fighter. I started Greco-Roman wrestling when I was six years old. The training a wrestler undergoes, the physical stress, the strain is all equal, if not more, when compared to MMA. I know India has a lot of wresters, including some Olympic medal winners, and MMA and the UFC is a great career option for them,” Latifi said on the sidelines of the open workout session.
Iranian lightweight fighter Reza ‘Mad Dog’ Madadi felt Indian wrestlers are very passionate about their sport and that is what could bring them success.
“Indian wrestlers have a huge opportunity with the UFC coming to India. UFC fighters come from different backgrounds, but those coming in from the wrestling world enjoy better success. Indian wrestlers have a very good heart. They are very hardworking and passionate guys. I am sure they will succeed in UFC,” said Reza.
Finally, Mousasi felt that even boxing is a good start-up to MMA. “I began as a boxer and then took to MMA. India does have a good boxing structure too, so I think they will do well here,” he said.
Rake in the moolah
While wrestlers in India earn hardly anything from their craft, UFC fighters rake in some big moolah.
It is learnt that the normal contracts doled out to start-up UFC fighters range from anything between 8,000 USD to 10,000 USD per fight.
And this is just the show-up amount to turn up for the encounter.
The winner earns double as he gets an additional amount which is equal to the show-up amount.
Some of the top UFC fighters reportedly earn anywhere between USD 1,00,000 to USD 1 million per fight.
Source : http://www.mid-day.com/sports/2013/apr/040413-indian-wrestlers-can-earn-big-money-in-mma-ufc-players.htm
People behind the Ultimate Fighting Championship — touted to be the world’s premier mixed martial arts (MMA) organisation — believe Indian wrestlers will have a lucrative alternate career option very soon. MMA is a contest between two athletes using a combination of combat disciplines including boxing, Greco-Roman wrestling, freestyle wrestling, judo, taekwondo, kickboxing, karate, jiu-jitsu and Thai boxing. And UFC believes India’s traditional wrestling prowess could make its fighters a force to reckon with.
London silver medallist Sushil Kumar and bronze medallist Yogeshwar Dutt. Pics/Getty Images
Wrestling is big in India. It has got a very strong culture and tradition,” said Gary Cook, managing director and executive vice-president Europe, Middle East and Africa, during the open workout session ahead of Saturday’s UFC event at the Ericsson Globe Arena here.
Wrestling roots
Ilir Latifi who will make his UFC debut on Saturday, started off as a wrestler. Latifi has been called on to replace light heavyweight fighter and local boy Alexander ‘The Mauler’ Gustafsson after the latter suffered a cut above his left eye and was ruled out of Saturday’s feature fight against Gegard Mousasi. “I believe if you have a good wrestling base, it facilitates the transition to being a MMA fighter. I started Greco-Roman wrestling when I was six years old. The training a wrestler undergoes, the physical stress, the strain is all equal, if not more, when compared to MMA. I know India has a lot of wresters, including some Olympic medal winners, and MMA and the UFC is a great career option for them,” Latifi said on the sidelines of the open workout session.
Iranian lightweight fighter Reza ‘Mad Dog’ Madadi felt Indian wrestlers are very passionate about their sport and that is what could bring them success.
“Indian wrestlers have a huge opportunity with the UFC coming to India. UFC fighters come from different backgrounds, but those coming in from the wrestling world enjoy better success. Indian wrestlers have a very good heart. They are very hardworking and passionate guys. I am sure they will succeed in UFC,” said Reza.
Finally, Mousasi felt that even boxing is a good start-up to MMA. “I began as a boxer and then took to MMA. India does have a good boxing structure too, so I think they will do well here,” he said.
Rake in the moolah
While wrestlers in India earn hardly anything from their craft, UFC fighters rake in some big moolah.
It is learnt that the normal contracts doled out to start-up UFC fighters range from anything between 8,000 USD to 10,000 USD per fight.
And this is just the show-up amount to turn up for the encounter.
The winner earns double as he gets an additional amount which is equal to the show-up amount.
Some of the top UFC fighters reportedly earn anywhere between USD 1,00,000 to USD 1 million per fight.
Source : http://www.mid-day.com/sports/2013/apr/040413-indian-wrestlers-can-earn-big-money-in-mma-ufc-players.htm
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L'UFC a largement été devancé en Inde par une autre organisation : Super Fight League (fondée en 2012).
Et le premier combattant indien à signer avec l'UFC sera Bharat Khandare (1m70, 65kg), un lutteur, qui combattra lors de l'UFC Fight Night 122 "Bisping vs Gastelum" du 25 novembre 2017, à Shangaï, en Chine.
Super Fight League is a mixed martial arts promotion, based in India. The organisation was formed in 2012 by actor Sanjay Dutt and British-Indian businessman Raj Kundra, and is currently co-owned by British-Asian businessman Bill Dosanjh and British-Pakistani boxing champion Amir Khan.
Super Fight League has had 67 live televised events, with over 100 million views. It has produced at least 50 live televised events broadcast on Colors, Neo Prime, ESPN Star Sports, MTV India and YouTube.
Source : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_Fight_League
Ses champions sont principalement des Etats-uniens mais on doit noter que Bharat Khandare fut le champion des 65kg en 2012-2013 et qu'aujourd'hui, il y a encore deux Indiens détenteurs du titre SFL :
- Amitesh Chaubey (77kg)
- et Pawan Maan Singh (70kg).
Source : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Super_Fight_League_champions
Bharat Khandare Becomes First India-Born Fighter To Sign With Ultimate Fighting Championship
Ultimate Fighting Championship might already have an Indian-origin fighter in Arjan Singh Bhullar, however, history was made on Saturday as Bharat Khandare became the first India-born fighter to be signed by the MMA promotion. The UFC's aim to take MMA to all parts of the world is well and truly underway and now India can to be added to the list. The UFC India on Saturday welcomed Brave Combat Federation bantamweight fighter Bharat Khandare to the organisation. Khandare will make his debut at UFC Fight Night in Shanghai on November 25th.
Palmarès : https://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Bharat-Khandare-86855
L'Indien Bharat Khandare s'inclinera face au Chinois Yadong "Kung Fu Monkey" Song.
Résultats du Fight Night 122 : https://www.sherdog.com/events/UFC-Fight-Night-122-Bisping-vs-Gastelum-62001
Palmarès de Yadong Song : https://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Yadong-Song-103807
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