Generations of Americans grew up cheering and hooting for the heroes who punched, jabbed and kicked each other in the rings. They thronged the stadium in hundreds, showing their solidarity and support, thus becoming an intrinsic part of the global phenomenon of fight nights.
Close to a month from now, India too will witness something close to a fight night for the first time and you could well witness the mixed martial art (MMA) form here. Full Contact Championship (FCC), an initiative by Prashant Kumar - a professional MMA exponent, will host the first fight night in Mumbai in April.
“The fight night culture doesn’t exist in India. There is a desperate need in India to provide talented fighters with a platform to perform. Also, sporting entertainment need not be restricted to cricket alone in our country. MMA Fight Nights will open up a new and exciting avenue in the area of sporting entertainment,” Kumar said.
Talking about where he sought inspiration to introduce the martial art form in India, Kumar said, “I have been a martial arts exponent for the past 20 years and I cross-trained in different fight styles. Between 1990 and 93 I participated in free style full contact fighting in Mumbai. However, at that time there was no scope, opportunity or recognition for fighters here. In fact, I would have loved to pursue fighting as a career abroad. The youngsters shouldn’t miss out on what I did, hence this move.”
To keep their targets reasonable, FCC aims at organising three shows by the end of this year, which will have eight male fighters in different categories beginning at 55kg and going on till 85 kg and above. There is also a proposal to stage a MMA bout with female fighters.
The fighters participating in the fight night have received training at the international level. Every fighter has undergone intense cross-training in essential martial art forms such as boxing, muay thai, kickboxing, grappling, jiu jitsu and judo. Apart from this, strength training also forms a major part of their routine.
Talking about the future of fight nights in India, Kumar said, “India should be a recognised force on the international MMA circuit. Through FCC, our aim is to spread awareness of the sport in India, and source out fighters from the remotest corners of the country. Also, not to forget its potential as sporting entertainment.”
