I reached Garia’s Arunachal Prangan in a panjabi and jeans to witness the God of Athletes Fighting Championship on a warm summer evening. In retrospect, it was a low-energy attire choice for the high-adrenaline and intense Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) championship that was happening in a steel cage.
MMA, in recent times, has gained a lot of traction in world sports arenas. Yet, it remains to be recognised as an official ‘government-affiliated’ sport. With global stars like Islam Makhachev, Joshua Van in various weight levels, and former champions like Conor McGregor, MMA is fast gaining popularity as a sport. It was this surface level knowledge that I had too.
But what I did not anticipate is the intensity, the brutality, and the stamina it takes for these athletes to fight in the arena. The tournament was arranged over two days, with the final day being the semi-finals and the finals. The evening ended with an exhibition match between India, represented by Ishan, and Philippines, represented by Nico.
Fighters entered the arena to rap music, dance moves, and showboating poses. There were medics, coaches and help (they are called seconds, I learnt) shouting technical terms like “Dagestani handcuffs”, “takedown”, and “jab”.
Being an amateur spectator to the sport, I expected maybe a match of boxing, or at most, Muay Thai. This was on a different level altogether. Talking to Ishan pre-match he informed he wasn’t in the best shape. “I am not completely fit today, I don’t know how I will perform in the ring,” said Ishan.
It took him two minutes to TKO (Technical Knock-out, a term I learnt while in the grounds) his opponent from the Philippines. A TKO happens when an opponent is in no condition to continue safely and the referee stops the match.
Clubs from Sikkim, and all over Kolkata, participated in the tournament.
Rigio Pidam, a MMA fighter from Sikkim, was one of the finalists. “I have fought since childhood, I just love this sport with my heart,” said Pidam.
Pidam elaborated on the growing scene in the mountains and the hype of MMA there. “Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, and other states are organising tournaments regularly now, with prize pools to encourage the players. There is a growing demand for UFC tournaments there.”
Hosting the event was Ayushree Banerjee, a member of God of Athletes club (GOA) and a national-level MMA fighter herself.
“Our main aim for this tournament was for fighters to get visibility and grow. In India, we still have to explain what MMA is, and that it is a legitimate sport,” said Banerjee.
GOA aims to get recognised by the government to get funding for the athletes.
“If you are going for a tournament at the national level, or internationally, all expenses are out of pocket. We want to create awareness that there are talented MMA fighters in Kolkata, so we can get the funds for this sport’s development,” added Banerjee.
Sitting on the arena-side cushioned chairs, I could not help but feel a little overwhelmed with the nature of the sport. The fighters have been seasoned to take blows, I was informed. I understood that, because one of those punches or kicks would land me in a hospital or worse.