Ariful Islam/Guwahati

While Arshad Ali of the village Garchuk faced a group of bullies in school, he decided to build his mental and physical strength. As a result, he joined Martial Arts for self-defense.

At 27, Arshad won a bronze medal for India in the 2nd Asian Mixed Martial Arts Championships held from July 11 to 13 in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Arshad Ali trains at Legacy Combat MMA Gymnasium in Guwahati.

In the coming weeks, Arshad Ali will participate in the 2024 Asian Indoor Games in the MMA Championship, the most prestigious and challenging event in the field. It attracts participants from all over the continent.

In an exclusive interview with Awaz-The Voice, Arshad Ali said, "I am happy to participate in the tournament (2nd Asian MMA Championships). The Indian team will have eight members. I was the only one from the Northeast. Before taking up MMA, I used to play kickboxing and Wushu and participated in many competitive events. Now I am in love with MMA.”

Arshad Ali being declared winner in the Asian MMA

Arshad Ali trains daily at the Legacy Combat Coach MMA Gymasium at Chandmari, Guwahati under the noted MMA fighter Shakil Inzam. There is no fixed practice time, and he often practices for 2-3 hours each day.

"Many people have a wrong notion about MMA, for they believe MMA is a fighting sport, but it's not like that. Real martial arts players never fight. Most people come to learn MMA for self-defense. Martial Arts never teach one to fight but only to defend. MMA teaches you to control your mind. Today’s younger generation has become lazy. The youth can benefit from MMA in their lives. I have personally benefited a lot," he said.

In addition to the Asian Championships, Arshad Ali has won gold in kickboxing and bronze medals in Wushu at the state and national levels.

Arshad Ali has faced various challenges since joining MMA. Initially, since Arshad Ali had a lean body many people would tell him, “You can't do these things. MMA is not meant for you.”

However, despite all these negative vibes, he continued to learn the skill and is a star today.

Arshad Ali (extreme right) on the podium during the award distribution ceremony of Asian MMA Championships

"Playing MMA causes a lot of injury to the body and this scared my family. Sometimes my family would say I shouldn't play this sport anymore. I continued with my passion no matter whatever the challenge I faced. Currently, my mom and dad are very proud of me. I am proud of myself. If I can do it, everyone can do it,” Arshad said.

So far, Arshad Ali is satisfied with the medal and his achievement in MMA but doesn’t want to end his MMA journey here. In the future, he wants to see himself in the ring of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, an American mixed martial arts promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. He also dreams of playing in the World Championships in the future.

MMA is not a recognized sport. Therefore, Arshad Ali does not receive any assistance from the government when he goes to play in different places. He spends his money and also gets some help from the MMA India Federation.

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“MMA is a relatively new sport in India and, thus, we do not enjoy any government or corporate support as of now. Some combat sports such as boxing, wushu, taekwondo, etc are recognized and players enjoy much support, including reservations. I am hopeful that MMA too will be recognized one day and players will benefit,” Arshad said.