India’s Anshul Jubli is the country’s biggest MMA superstar. The undefeated lightweight is the only fighter from India competing in the UFC and made a great first impression. And now, the 28-year-old has revealed his extra motivation when competing in the octagon.
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Jubli made history and became the first fighter from India to compete in the UFC and win. He took on Jeka Saragih at UFC Fight Night: Lewis vs Spivac. And Jubli showed the world what he can do with an impressive second-round knockout win. And ahead of his return, he has opened up about his motivation when fighting in the octagon.
Anshul Jubli Is Eager to Represent India Despite Limited Support Compared to Cricket
Anshul Jubli Explains What It Means to Represent India
Jubli will return to the octagon, this time at a PPV event. He will compete on the UFC 294 card in Abu Dhabi this month and will face Mike Breeden. And ahead of his fight, the Indian fighter caught up with Sportskeeda MMA’s James Lynch.
When talking about being the sole representative from Inda, Jubli said, “Yes, yes. And see, we Indians are very patriotic. We love our country. If you’re representing our country internationally, we’re gonna support you like anything.”
The 28-year-old then compared it to cricket and said it’s nowhere close to cricket. However, despite it being a fairly unpopular sport, he still enjoys a lot of support and that’s why it means so much to him. He added, “Like for you, and for money, I’m fighting for my country.”
Therefore, these comments from Jubli show just how much it means to him when he steps into the octagon. And he is not wrong. Since his debut in the UFC, the sport has grown rapidly in the country. Jubli’s social media following has also increased rapidly.
So there you have it. This is why competing in the UFC is such a big opportunity for the undefeated Indian. While he competes alone in the octagon, he is representing a country of 1.3 billion people.
What do you make of these comments from the Indian fighter? Do you think the added motivation spurs him on or does it add more responsibility on his shoulders?
