CWG champion Sangram Singh dives into MMA, to face Hakim Trabelsi

New Delhi: Sangram Singh, a former Commonwealth Games Heavyweight Champion is making a comeback in a totally new field -- the Mixed Martial Arts (MMA).

The decision was announced at a press meet for the Levels Fight League (LFL) with Sangram Singh as its newest entrant.

MMA is a mix of wrestling, kickboxing and jijitsu where 80% is dominated by wrestling and the rest is shared evenly by the other two disciplines.

India’s most decorated wrestler Sangram will be fighting Hakim Trabelsi of Tunisia on November 2 in Amsterdam.

Sharing the stage with Sangram were the LFL owner-cum-President Donovan J Alexander, Hakim Trabelsi’s coach Chakir Ansari and Sangram Singh’s coach Bhupesh Kumar.

Chakir Ansari added, “It’s an honour for Hakim Trabelsi to face India’s strongest fighter. He respects Sangram’s style and has prepared to meet this challenge with full intensity.”

On the other hand, Donovan J Alexander highlighted the global significance of Sangram’s participation.

“Sangram is an inspiration in the sporting world, and his presence in the Levels Fight League will attract global attention. His energy, humility, and relentless spirit make him a perfect representative of Indian sportsmanship.”

Sangram, on the other hand, seemed to be in a relaxed mood and shared his experience of starting from Desi Akhadas to reaching these heights.

He said, “It has been a difficult but a pleasant journey considering that when I started out there was not much scope and support for the sport. I did not belong to a rich family so it was difficult to make ends meet. I suffered from rheumatoid arthritis since childhood which limited my ability to walk and even talk so I was made fun of by my peers.

“To fight this, I began wrestling in my local akhadas and this ignited my journey to where I am today. I learned to fight from a very young age and this has been my belief that to achieve something you need to not only work hard but you have to be crazy and insane.”

Sangram also stated that though he is 40 years old, he came back to wrestling and entered MMA to inspire young generation to take up the sport.

“I have seen many youngsters who have taken up MMA and it feels great to be their inspiration.”

The Gen-Z is taking a lot of interest in this sport and it is a good sign for the sport in India.

FitIndia supporting this for the first time is a good sign and shows that the Government is taking interest in MMA.

“A federation is needed to take this forward to a bigger stage and garner more interest for the sport and I am sowing the seed for the next generation and it makes me proud that I can do this for the younger lot.”

Asked about his routine, he added that he practices for about 5-6 hours in a day and has at least 300-400 grammes of desi ghee in his diet every day.

About his opponent, he said that he is an explosive fighter and also has a wrestling background.

“So whoever has a good day and can keep the nerves will come out as the winner. My main strength is stamina and if I can outlast first few minutes. Then I think I can be in control and in a good position.”

LFL President Donovan James Alexander is excited about the prospect of this fight and seemed very hopeful about Sangram’s chances as he rates the Indian fighter very highly.

But he is also aware that his Tunisian opponent is very strong so he is eagerly looking forward to the fight on November 2 which has 14 scheduled bouts with this being the highlight of the day.

He also added that LFL is like a stepping stone and a direct platform to UFC.

“With greats like Khabib Nurmagomedov and Conor Mcgregor working wonders in promoting and helping younger generation to take up the sport, we look to expand our platform to firstly Germany and maybe India and other countries in the near future,” said Alexander.

“We look for exceptional fighters and look to give them the platform they need.”

To sum it all up, this can kickstart this sport and generate more interest in general public and for authorities to take notice and provide great infrastructure for future stars emulating Sangram Singh.

Tags : Sangram Singh, Mixed Martial Arts, MMA, Levels Fight League, Hakim Trabelsi