Mixed Martial Arts in India has received a major shot in the arm with Mumbai-based fighters Shriya Satam (50kg) and Veer Bhadu (80kg) clinching a silver and bronze medal respectively, at the ongoing Asian Youth Games (AYG) in Bahrain. This is the first time the sport has been included at the AYG, and Mixed Martial Arts Sports Federation of India (MMA-SFI) president, Nikhil Kunder, feels the youngsters have proved that India has the potential to excel in the sport on the global stage. “It was a special feeling to see us win medals in the very first attempt itself. Shriya and Veer beat some really tough opponents to create history,” Kunder, 34, told mid-day on Tuesday, a day after the six-player MMA team returned home from Bahrain.
Kunder, who coaches Shriya at his ONE Punch MMA training centre in Kandivli, believes the duo have set the benchmark for India’s senior fighters eyeing medals at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan (Sept 19 to Oct 4), where MMA has been included for the first time.
India’s Veer Bhadu pins down his opponent at the AYG in Bahrain
IOA’s support justified
“Shriya and Veer’s performance has backed up the recognition and importance that the Indian Olympic Association [IOA] has given us [MMA-SFI]. This performance has justified the funding we received from the IOA. This display has also motivated our senior fighters. We will send a bigger contingent than the six fighters we sent for the Asian Youth Games, and I’m sure we can win four to five medals at next year’s Asian Games,” said Kunder, a Borivli resident.
With their success at the AYG, Shriya, 17, and Veer, 16, have also unlocked more international exposure for the country’s promising fighters. “Because of our performance at the AYG, many doors have opened up for our fighters. Some international federations have reached out to us with invites to host our fighters at competitions and similarly to send their top fighters for events here. Kazakhstan, for example, has invited our fighters for a 21-day camp. Foreign exposure will make our fighters physically and mentally stronger to fight in front of big crowds and ensure they won’t be overawed by the occasion when at major global tournaments,” said Kunder.
As MMA continues to gain traction in India, largely thanks to the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) — the American company which is the biggest MMA promoter in the world — Kunder is hopeful that MMA-SFI can achieve a tie-up with them in the not-too-distant future.
Shriya Satam (centre) and Veer Bhadu (right) with their AYG medals alongside MMA-SFI president, Nikhil Kunder. Pics/Special Arrangement
UFC tie-up, a future target
“UFC is the highest platform for any MMA fighter in the world. The sport’s popularity in India grew when Anshul Jubli [India’s second UFC fighter] won the Road to UFC [an event where Asian fighters compete to win a UFC contract] in 2022. Seeing him, every Indian fighter felt that if he can make it, so can they. Currently, UFC is not entering the Indian market [to host fights] because the level of our fighters is not up to their standard. However, in the next two to three years, when the MMA ecosystem in India develops and we produce world-class fighters, I’m sure UFC will eye Indian shores, and MMA-SFI will bring them here,” Kunder signed off.
