Anshul Jubli's giant step for India in UFC

MANILA, Philippines – When 28-year-old Anshul Jubli enters the Octagon as the “main event” of the preliminary card of UFC Fight Night on February 5 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, he’s taking two huge steps for Indian mixed martial arts.

Jubli isn’t the first Indian to fight in the UFC. The honor goes to Bharat Khandare, who fought Chinese fighter Yadong Song in UFC Fight Night 122. Khandare lost and two years later, was unceremoniously released from his contract after he was suspended for using a banned substance and some other off-ring concerns.

The six-foot-flat Jubli wants to give a more positive view of Indian mixed martial arts skills as opposed to the traditional cricket and chess.

The youthful Anshul downplayed the significance of his UFC debut and instead pointed to the positive growth of MMA in this most populous country.

“The last amateur event in Bangalore there were over a thousand participants,” he gushed. “Now we have three times or more events in a month. I am very positive about the MMA scene in India. You will see three to four or even five years more Indians in the UFC. And our boxing and wrestling is at a very high level.”

Well, Anshul is showing he can compete at a high-level after he was offered a contract following his showing in the Road to the UFC in 2022. There, he advanced to the semifinals without throwing a punch when his Japanese foe Patrick Sho Usami pulled out due to dehydration. In the Final Four, Jubli defeated Korean Kyung Pyo Kim via split decision.

In that fight, Jubli punished his Korean foe with some solid strikes including one that nearly dropped Kim. The Indian also showed that his knees are a weapon to be reckoned with. 

Come UFC fight Night, Jubli (6-0-0) will take on Indonesian Jeka Saragih (13-2-0), who is a fellow Road to the UFC alumnus in what is technically, “The Lightweight Match of the Road to the UFC” except it is in a real UFC setting. 

Saragih himself was no slouch during the Road to the UFC where he won both his fights by knocking out his foes — Pawan Maan Singh and Ki Won Bin.

The two Asians will be in the “main event” of the preliminary card of only the third event of the UFC this 2023. Heavyweights Derrick Lewis and Sergey Spivak battle in the main event.

“It feels very different from the Road to the UFC because before we were fighting in a separate event. Now we’re in the main UFC event even if it’s in the preliminary round,” noted Jubli.

“My camp went well physically, mentally, and on the nutrition side. Mentally I feel very ready. Three weeks ago, I said to my coach, ‘if you tell me my fight is tomorrow, I would say, I am ready.’ And I am ready. After cutting weight, I will recover and be a beast inside the Octagon.”

UFC Fight Night: Lewis vs. Spivak will be televised locally at 11 a.m. on the Premier Sports Channel over Skycable and Cignal as well as on the TapGo TV application.