MMA fever grips the city

Amateur mixed martial arts (MMA) took centre stage at the Biswa Bangla Exhibition Centre on Saturday as Elite Contender Series returned with its second event after debuting in Bengaluru earlier this year.

It featured 52 preliminary bouts before culminating in a 12-fight international main card, reflecting a mission to build professional grassroots pathway for athletes from different parts of the Indian subcontintent. Beyond the bruises and knockouts, powerful moments came from the stories behind the fighters. While a participant named Asbeen dedicated his victory to his late brother, Soniya Koli fought to defy gender stereotypes.

Vedant Sharma, meanwhile, delivered the night’s fastest finish in just six seconds.

Moments of truthThe co-main event saw Devgan Marandi stop Nepal’s Sunil Punn in 17 seconds, saying he visualises finishing fights beforehand. In the headline bout, Aks Pandey won against Karan Kumar Mahto after a tough opening round and corner advice from coach Peeyush. Talking about the event, Peeyush Pandey, founder of ECS said, “We have talent but lack opportunities. Our aim is to give fighters professional exposure.