There are 1.4 billion people in India but none currently on the books of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).
Anshul "King of Lions" Jubli believes he's about to change that.
The 27-year-old mixed martial arts fighter this week takes his unbeaten 5-0 record to Singapore and the inaugural Asia-wide edition of the Road to UFC.
The tournament is designed to unearth untapped potential from the region and Jubli believes that he will win - and the floodgates will open for Indian fighters wanting to join the world's major MMA promotion.
"Getting to the UFC is the dream," Jubli, who fights in the lightweight category, told AFP.
"I can promise you that once I get signed that within four years you will see many, many Indian fighters follow me. This is just the beginning."
There has previously been one Indian-born fighter with a UFC contract, featherweight Bharat Khandare, who in 2017 lost his only fight and was consequently let go.
Jubli was born in the picturesque northern Indian mountain town of Uttarkashi and his father was in the Indian Army's border security forces.
The young Jubli ended up going with him to postings all over the country, before deciding to follow in his footsteps and sign up.
That's when Jubli's life changed forever.
"I started learning MMA because I knew it would help with my army physical exams, but I soon realised it was MMA that I wanted to do, not join the army," said Jubli.
"My father is quite happy but I know my mother still hopes that I will quit and become a doctor or a lawyer. There's no chance of that.
"I am strong, I have all the skills and I am only getting better and better."
After a 13-0 run through India's amateur MMA ranks, Jubli turned professional in 2019 and is unbeaten since.
Road to UFC is the first edition of an Asia-wide version of the UFC's The Ultimate Fighter series which has unearthed 11 future champions, among them current welterweight king, the Nigerian-American Kamaru Usman.
It offers a window of opportunity for 32 fighters from as far afield as India and China, Indonesia and the Philippines, nations that are among the world's major population centres but relatively unrepresented on the global stage, in a sport that bills itself as the fastest growing on the planet.
Jubli will be joined in the lightweight tournament by compatriot Pawan Maan (7-2-1). The victors this week will proceed to further events later in the year and, if they keeping winning, the chance for a UFC contract.
"You've got to imagine if you take just India and China, the billions of people they have there, then there has to be some incredible, incredible talent somewhere," UFC president Dana White told AFP.
"This tournament is a good way to get these kids some experience. Put them in a little bit of a pressure-cooker situation and see how they do."
'Ready to rock'
Road to UFC kicks off at the Singapore Indoor Stadium on Thursday as part of the lead-up to Sunday's UFC 275 in the city-state.
The double world championship bill features the light heavyweight clash between Brazilian champ Glover Teixeira and Czech Jiri Prochazka, and the women's flyweight title fight between Kyrgyzstan-born Valentina Shevchenko and Brazil's Taila Santos.
There is also a return to action for China's strawweight former world champion Zhang Weili.
It is the first time the UFC has held title fights in Southeast Asia.
Jubli is nowhere near that level yet, but believes that when he enters the cage for his fight against Japan's Sho Usami (4-1) on Friday he will show that the UFC is where he belongs.
"I think I'm the best fighter in India," said Jubli.
"I truly, truly believe that I am the best. I'll win this fight and I'll win this tournament.
"I'm very prepared mentally, I'm prepared physically and I'm ready to rock."
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
THE BIO: Martin Van Almsick
Hometown: Cologne, Germany
Family: Wife Hanan Ahmed and their three children, Marrah (23), Tibijan (19), Amon (13)
Favourite dessert: Umm Ali with dark camel milk chocolate flakes
Favourite hobby: Football
Breakfast routine: a tall glass of camel milk
Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
UAE%20ILT20
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EMarquee%20players%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EMoeen%20Ali%2C%20Andre%20Russell%2C%20Dawid%20Malan%2C%20Wanindu%20Hasiranga%2C%20Sunil%20Narine%2C%20Evin%20Lewis%2C%20Colin%20Munro%2C%20Fabien%20Allen%2C%20Sam%20Billings%2C%20Tom%20Curran%2C%20Alex%20Hales%2C%20Dushmantha%20Chameera%2C%20Shimron%20Hetmyer%2C%20Akeal%20Hosein%2C%20Chris%20Jordan%2C%20Tom%20Banton%2C%20Sandeep%20Lamichhane%2C%20Chris%20Lynn%2C%20Rovman%20Powell%2C%20Bhanuka%20Rajapaksa%2C%20Mujeeb%20Ul%20Rahman%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInternational%20players%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3ELahiru%20Kumara%2C%20Seekugge%20Prassanna%2C%20Charith%20Asalanka%2C%20Colin%20Ingram%2C%20Paul%20Stirling%2C%20Kennar%20Lewis%2C%20Ali%20Khan%2C%20Brandon%20Glover%2C%20Ravi%20Rampaul%2C%20Raymon%20Reifer%2C%20Isuru%20Udana%2C%20Blessing%20Muzarabani%2C%20Niroshan%20Dickwella%2C%20Hazaratullah%20Zazai%2C%20Frederick%20Klassen%2C%20Sikandar%20Raja%2C%20George%20Munsey%2C%20Dan%20Lawrence%2C%20Dominic%20Drakes%2C%20Jamie%20Overton%2C%20Liam%20Dawson%2C%20David%20Wiese%2C%20Qais%20Ahmed%2C%20Richard%20Gleeson%2C%20James%20Vince%2C%20Noor%20Ahmed%2C%20Rahmanullah%20Gurbaz%2C%20Navin%20Ul%20Haq%2C%20Sherfane%20Rutherford%2C%20Saqib%20Mahmood%2C%20Ben%20Duckett%2C%20Benny%20Howell%2C%20Ruben%20Trumpelman%0D%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
2019 ASIA CUP POTS
Pot 1
UAE, Iran, Australia, Japan, South Korea, Saudi Arabia
Pot 2
China, Syria, Uzbekistan, Iraq, Qatar, Thailand
Pot 3
Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Palestine, Oman, India, Vietnam
Pot 4
North Korea, Philippines, Bahrain, Jordan, Yemen, Turkmenistan
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
The bio
Studied up to grade 12 in Vatanappally, a village in India’s southern Thrissur district
Was a middle distance state athletics champion in school
Enjoys driving to Fujairah and Ras Al Khaimah with family
His dream is to continue working as a social worker and help people
Has seven diaries in which he has jotted down notes about his work and money he earned
Keeps the diaries in his car to remember his journey in the Emirates
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Who has been sanctioned?
Daniella Weiss and Nachala
Described as 'the grandmother of the settler movement', she has encouraged the expansion of settlements for decades. The 79 year old leads radical settler movement Nachala, whose aim is for Israel to annex Gaza and the occupied West Bank, where it helps settlers built outposts.
Harel Libi & Libi Construction and Infrastructure
Libi has been involved in threatening and perpetuating acts of aggression and violence against Palestinians. His firm has provided logistical and financial support for the establishment of illegal outposts.
Zohar Sabah
Runs a settler outpost named Zohar’s Farm and has previously faced charges of violence against Palestinians. He was indicted by Israel’s State Attorney’s Office in September for allegedly participating in a violent attack against Palestinians and activists in the West Bank village of Muarrajat.
Coco’s Farm and Neria’s Farm
These are illegal outposts in the West Bank, which are at the vanguard of the settler movement. According to the UK, they are associated with people who have been involved in enabling, inciting, promoting or providing support for activities that amount to “serious abuse”.
