Mumbai, June 11 : In an unprecedented move in the Indian wrestling world, former Commonwealth Heavyweight Champion Sangram Singh is all set to make his entry into the world of MMA.

With this move, he becomes only the 1st male wrestler to embrace MMA and only the second Indian that will compete as an MMA fighter.

An illustrious career in wrestling that spans across almost 25 years for India, Sangram is equipped for his move as an MMA fighter, a style that fundamentally includes the skills that wrestlers have.

"MMA is the future, its growing popularity in the last few years speaks for itself. India has one of the highest viewership for the sport and I hope that the fans of the sport can support me in the same manner. Wrestling has given me so much including the love from the people of my country and I hope that they will continue to do the same in my new endeavor. It is my honor to represent India on the MMA world stage and hopefully inspire the next generation of athletes that want to pursue a career as an MMA fighter," said Sangram on his transition as an MMA fighter.

Sangram recently made waves in the wrestling community as he made his comeback after a 6-year hiatus at the Dubai Pro Wrestling Championship and aims on continuing his wrestling career alongside his MMA stint.

The comeback proved successful as he defeated Pakistan's Muhammad Saeed in an almost one-sided affair proving his prowess on the mat. The move to MMA after this successful bout came naturally as MMA is the next step towards the future and with its popularity growing by the day.

Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) is a dynamic combat sport that combines various fighting styles and techniques to create a unique and exciting form of competition. MMA fighters come from diverse martial arts backgrounds, blending their skills to become well-rounded combatants.

Sangram extensive experience in wrestling will come handy as Wrestling is a cornerstone of MMA, emphasising takedowns, control, and ground-and-pound techniques. Wrestlers are adept at controlling their opponents' positions and dictating the pace of a fight. Their skill set is invaluable for taking opponents down and maintaining dominant positions.

/IANS