Behind the Scenes of the Indian MMA Ecosystem
The fight night is just the tip of the iceberg. This is the real, unpolished ecosystem of coaches, athletes, and the grind that actually builds a warrior.
Back in the game full throttle. All my gear fits into my new Vader Pro gym bag. A robust bag is essential for a combat athlete.
Combat skills and strength training are a dynamite combination. Great to run into my first BJJ coach, Jitendra Khare, one of the OGs of Indian MMA.
At the IHFF expo with fellow coaches and friends from the MMA community.
The team at the IHFF expo. These events are a great place to connect with the wider fitness and combat sports community.
At a live UFC screening event at UFC Gym Bandra. Building an informed MMA community in India is the goal.
Having some fun on the mats after the UFC screening event. It's all about the community.
A group photo with the enthusiastic MMA fans who attended the live screening.
With a fellow MMA enthusiast at the UFC Gym event. The community is growing.
Another group shot from the UFC screening. It takes a tribe to build a sport.
Pointing to the poster for my live analysis event at UFC Gym. It's great to see the community come together.
About Behind the Scenes & Community
People see the finish in the cage, but I see the three months of tape study, the weight cut depletion, and the corner instructions that actually won the fight. This gallery is not about the highlights. It is about the hours in the dark, the physios, the community meets at places like UFC Gym, and the real-world infrastructure that actually builds a fighter.
When you look at MMA in India, it is easy to get distracted by the shiny, social media side of things. But real progression happens in the quiet moments. It is in the technical breakdowns at the gym, the long sessions of rolling with the 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu squad, and the candid, unfiltered discussions at community events like the IHFF expo.
My work as a UFC commentator for Sony Sports Network and as a coach forces me to look at this sport differently. I don't just watch for the knockouts. I document the process because that is where the lessons are. Whether I am shooting at MFN events to capture the faces of the staff, officials, and cutmen who make the show run, or hosting a screening in Bandra to analyze technical setups, my goal is the same: to strip away the entertainment-only perspective and build an informed, serious community.
This cluster gives you a look at that side of the game. It is about the people who show up, the coaches like Ashwin Hoon at Warrior's Cove who are actually crafting talent, and the reality of life on the mats. If you are looking for the 'influencer' version of fitness, you will not find it here. If you are looking for the real, grit-filled, scientific, and community-driven path to becoming a better fighter, this is where we start.
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