Ahead of his ONE Championship debut this month, we spoke to Indian MMA veteran Javed Mulla about the development of the sport in his country.
Javed Mulla is one of the most experienced Indian MMA fighters today. With a career which spans over a decade, Mulla is finally getting the recognition he deserves. On June 20, he’ll be getting his much-deserved shot at ONE Warrior Series 6 when he takes on Devon Morris. During his camp, he took some time to answer a few questions about personal life, future, and more.
Paarth Pande: You have been an active MMA fighter since 2006. You started out with regional MMA in India and now you’ll be fighting at an international platform. How does it feel to make it so far in your career?
Javed Mulla: This is my first international fight. I want to fight in more fights and compete at many international tournaments. This is just the beginning of my journey.
PP: What are your thoughts on your opponent Devon Morris?
JM: “Bam Bam.” Yeah, I have heard he’s a good fighter. He has a good record.
PP: Indian MMA fighters have finally started winning on platforms like ONE Championship. Do you think you’ll be able to continue this trend?
JM: Yes, I am sure I’ll be able to do so. I have strong management support backing me up. I also have a good fight camp going in at Fit and Fight Club. I am sure with this much support I’ll be able to win.
PP: Recently, Himanshu Kaushik said in an interview that Indian fighters panic because of the size of camp other fighters bring. Have you experienced this?
JM: This depends on the fighter. What is going on in his mind and the way he looks at the situation. They become nervous because of the platform. I am taking both physical and mental training so this doesn’t happen to me.
PP: What are the biggest challenges or an Indian MMA fighter? Fighters still say they don’t have good gyms and more. Are these problems still the biggest challenge?
JM: Today, there are good gyms in India. You have Superhuman Gym, Evolution and many more which provide quality training. We are moving on ahead. We have grown a lot in the past years and now are moving in the right direction.
PP: Is it necessary for an Indian fighter to go and train outside India?
JM: No, it isn’t necessary for an Indian fighter to go and train outside the country to win an international match. We can have a proper fight camp here.
