On the path to glory: India’s Angad Bisht faces DongHun Choi in the semifinals of the Road to UFC Season 3

Hailing from Rudraprayag, Uttarakhand, 28-year-old Angad Bisht could become just the third Indian to get a UFC contract. Following a commanding victory against John Dave Almanza, he is now set to face South Korean prospect DongHun Choi in the semi-finals of the flyweight tournament. From pursuing medicine to fighting inside a ring, Angad definitely looks like the next big star in MMA from India. Before he enters the ring on Saturday for the semi-finals, we got into a quick chat with the MMA artiste to talk about his preparation, his career and lots more…

You have your semi-final match on August 24. How are you preparing for it and how does it feel reaching this stage?

Everything is going as planned and I have worked hard for this. Now I just have to keep my cool. I don’t want to be over pressured. I’m just waiting for the fight. I had the confidence in me that I would be able to reach this stage of the competition.

In an earlier interview you said, “I was supposed to fix teeth. But now I break them.” How did you decide that MMA was the career you wanted to follow and not medicine?

My medical education was good in primary school. When I was a kid, my parents wanted me to become a doctor. I had it all planned in my mind. I did coaching for a year but didn’t get selected after the exams. In fact, I scored more before coaching. After that, I felt that this was not the right track. I should do something else. I shifted to Delhi and started working as a gym trainer. I wanted to learn MMA but not take it up as a career option. I was just curious. I started MMA and I was told that there is a fight after two months. I won that fight and people appreciated me. That was a different feeling altogether. That day I decided that I was meant for MMA.

How would you describe your fighting style?

I would say that the style I am building now is more based on boxing and wrestling.

Tell us about your daily routine?

I wake up at 7 am and go to the academy by 8. I train there till 11 am and come back and have food. Then I have classes from 4.30 pm till 6 pm. I have some time to spare till 7.30 pm before I go back to the academy at 8 pm and return to have dinner. I watch a movie or read a book and call it a day.

You are also a coach. Which one do you prefer more, fighting in the ring or managing everything from the outside?

I definitely love fighting in the ring. When you’re in the ring, you feel totally different. When you’re outside the ring, training someone, you feel totally different. As a coach, I am growing a lot. It feels good to see people work hard and keep that up. Some people get distracted. They move away from their path but some keep working out. I have a lot of respect for them.

You are from Uttarakhand and Anshul Jubli, the second Indian MMA athlete to win a UFC contract, is also from Uttarakhand. Do you keep in touch with him and ask for fighting tips from him?

Absolutely. When I don’t have a fight or when I am not in the camp, we talk a lot. We talk a lot about the fights that happen in the UFC and catch up on other things. Now that I am in the camp, I don’t talk much or socialise. I just train hard, eat well and sleep.

You spoke about watching movies and reading books. Which are the movies you are currently watching or the books you are reading?

Since I started watching the new Marvel movies, I have been going back and watching the older ones as I like Iron Man, Captain America and Thor. In terms of reading, I feel in Indian sports, there is a big gap when it comes to sports psychology. So, I am reading about mental preparation, how to prepare for a fight and everything on those lines.

Watch Angad Bisht vs DongHun Choi. August 24, 6.30 am. On Sony Sports Network.

Email: alwin@newindianexpress.com

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