From being a math teacher to becoming the first Indian to win an Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) match, the story of Dehradun-born Anshul Jubli is definitely worth telling. The 28-year-old became only the second Indian to receive a contract from the UFC after winning the Road to UFC (2022) — a Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) series where top Asian MMA prospects compete against each other and the winner of the tournament gets a professional UFC contract. Being someone who was always into combat sports, UFC was something that seemed inevitable for Anshul. The professional fighter opens up about his time with UFC, his struggles after shifting to Delhi from Dehradun, how a social media post changed his interest from football to UFC and lots more...
What has your experience in the UFC been like?
It has been amazing, so far. It has just been 30 years since UFC was founded and the way it has grown is tremendous. It is bigger than World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) right now. I did not know that until someone recently told me about it. I was like, no I do not think it is bigger than WWE in India. To which, the person told me that it may not be the case in India, but globally UFC is bigger than WWE. I am still a fan of WWE. If someone tells me that WWE is fake and UFC is real, I get offended even now (laughs). Now, UFC has become such a big sport because of the way it promotes itself. The whole organisation is like a well-oiled machine. A week or even 10 days before a fight, UFC calls us and takes care of everything from nutrition to physio. You do not have to worry about anything. I am very happy that I am part of this and in the coming years, UFC is going to grow even further. I feel it has already become the next big thing after football. It is a sport that includes fighting and that interests a lot of people. You get a lot of dopamine and a crazy adrenaline rush when you watch such types of sport.
From being a math teacher to a UFC fighter. How did that journey begin?
I would not say I was a math teacher. I have taught math in tuition classes. I have always been a smart person. I would not say in terms of studies but generally in life. After my 12th, I wanted to become an army officer and I started preparing for the Combined Defense Service (CDS). Then someone told me that when I attempt to clear the Service Selection Board (SSB) examination, I would be asked what I did as a co-curricular, alongside my studies. I would be asked, what makes you different from the rest of the candidates? That’s when I realised that I could use my interest in sports to up my chances. I used to play football, kho kho and volleyball and then I chose to go with MMA, something that I was not exposed to from my childhood. I joined the MMA classes and very soon I realised that I am natural at it. So, during college, it was like an on and off thing. Soon, I realised that I fell in love with the sport. First of all, I was natural at it and secondly, I used to think about it all the time. So, I decided to give the sport a chance but I was in Dehradun at that time and there was no training centre there. I decided to shift to Delhi but I did not have the money to survive there and that is when I started teaching math to children and started saving money to shift to Delhi. I taught children for a year and saved up enough money and shifted to Delhi and soon realised that a year of savings in Dehradun only helps you survive in Delhi for two months (laughs).
You mentioned that you loved playing football. Was there a particular reason why your focus shifted from football?
Well, it all changed because of one Facebook post. In football, when you are tackled or fouled, even if you are not hurt, you must act as if you got hurt, so that the referee gives it as a foul. So, the Facebook post compared a footballer to a MMA fighter, where the footballer is acting as if he got hurt (even though he did not) and an MMA fighter’s face is covered in blood with other severe injuries but is still fighting. That kind of shifted my focus to MMA.
Now you see a lot of Indians making a career in WWE. Did you ever think of taking that road?
From my childhood itself I realised that WWE was fake. I never thought of it as a platform to make my career in. I am happy being a fan of it. I am a real fighter now. I would want to keep doing that.
Who are some of the people you look up to in the UFC?
I get inspired by whoever the champion is. Whoever has the word champion along with their name, I look up to them. The people who are living the dream that I dreamed of, that motivates me. Champions who have defended their title like Alexander Volkanovski and Jon Jones inspire me a lot. I want to be where they have reached.
What were some of the other challenges that you had to face along the way?
After I shifted to Delhi, I realised that challenges are never ending. Within a year, I got my first professional fight. I was an amateur fighter until then. When you are an amateur fighter, you must give money to fight. You just get a certificate and a medal in return but as a professional fighter, you get money to fight. I thought that once I become a professional fighter and start earning money, there would be lesser struggles. But soon after becoming a professional, I had to be better every day. I had to work with better coaches, which was again another big spend. Then, when I won the Road to UFC (2022) and received a UFC contract, and the pressure seemed to be at its peak. I see the love of the fans and the hopes they have in me and that responsibility is something that keeps me going despite all this.
UFC matches are slated to broadcast on Sony Sports Network.
Email: alwin@newindianexpress.com
Twitter: @al_ben_so