Popularity of MMA in India

It is not a secret how popular the MMA brand called UFC has become worldwide. It has become a gold standard for everything surrounding this kind of sport. It is not shocking, considering how long this brand was trying to achieve this result and that people from all countries in the world are doing their best in order to start performing under this brand. If any internet user will open the BetWinner App, it is possible to find either UFC or Bellator events to place a bet on. It is very important to take a look at how popular MMA is in India. Because everyone has gotten used to the fact that this is an international kind of sport, but it is rare to find at least some kind of information on how the situation is in India. In fact, MMA has become really popular in this country and there are no reasons it would not, because there is a lot of infrastructure, many people are dreaming to become superstars in this kind of sport and this is why it is really interesting to look at how the situation is in India.

Is it a true competitor of cricket?

As many people may know, the number one kind of a sport in India is cricket. It is definitely a fan favourite, because it generates a lot of money, people pay attention to local tournaments and there are a lot of mega stars that have Indian origin. But in the last year, there has been a new kind of popular sport, called Mixed Martial Arts. They have seen a massive surge of popularity in the last couple of years. There are at least 3 local analogues of UFC that are striving to grow in popularity. They include:

• X1 International Women’s Fight Night;
• The Matrix Fight Night;
• Underground Fight Night.

According to the All India MMA Federation, mixed martial arts is not considered as a kind of sport. It is recognized as an entertainment product. It may be a legal issue and only a timely problem, because the same was true for such sports, like NBA or Formula 1. They were not able to find their place in this country, but why should MMA have a different destiny? The reason is simple – adrenaline rush. People get extremely excited when they see events, like Conor McGregor defeating Jose Aldo within a couple of seconds in 2015 to gain the title of UFC champion. Moments like this make promotions very popular among TV viewers. 

For many people it is more like a drama show. They may not be that much interested in who the champion is, but they would like to see the action, events that are going to lead them to the finale of the season. For this reason people not only look at what is happening during the show itself, but also pay attention to the news in order to know how a certain star is living. For example, McGregor had problems with the police numerous times and it was always entertaining to watch how he was handling it. It is recommended to pay attention to information sources, like the Severe Podcast that covers everything that is currently happening in the world of professional MMA. But it is important to point out that drama moments are the part of the reason why promotions like UFC are still not recognized as a sport in India. 

Why Is It Important For India To Recognize MMA?

India has one of the biggest populations in the world. It is understandable why so many companies all over the world are interested in getting recognition of their kind of sport. The industry has changed a lot since 2011 and so did the laws. What is important to understand is that sports that are growing in popularity pretty fast, should be able to get recognition, especially if they are international. Despite MMA being marketed as entertainment, people are still able to use betbuzz365 for money betting on UFC or local promotions. But another thing worth pointing out is the fact that there are only 3 states in India that have official sports laws. They include such states, like Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan and Kerala. It is indeed pretty hard for foreign companies to establish their sport in India. 

FAQ

Why Is MMA Not Recognized As a Sport in India?

The reason for that is simple – this kind of sport has only started to grow in popularity. 

What Is The Most Popular MMA Promotion in India?

Toyam Sports Limited is the biggest MMA promotion in India at the moment. 

Who is The Most Popular Indian MMA fighter?

The most popular Indian MMA fighter is Arjan Singh Bhullar.