Chennai: Bharat Khandare will become the first India-born fighter to grace the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) on Saturday when the Maharashtra XXX takes on China’s Song Yadong in Shanghai.
Khandare, goes by the Octagon sobriquet of ‘Daring’, made his way into the UFC after emerging as one of the best athletes in leading local MMA promotions where he was crowned featherweight champion. With a wrestling and kickboxing background, he once trained at Jackson-Wink in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
The 28-year-old said his entry into UFC would inspire a lot of youngsters to take up this sport. “Right now there is only me. But soon there will be 100, 150 fighters from India. I want to show them how they can make a mark on the global stage,” said Khandare.
“Sports are huge in India. I saw an opportunity to make a name for myself,” he added.
LIVE ON TV UFC Fight Night(Shanghai) At 2.15PM ON SONY ESPN & HD.
