Ladakh’s Mehdi Nasiri wins the India’s 1st MMA reality show – Kumite1 Warrior Hunt –

Streaming on MX Player, the platform also announced Monica Ghag and Neitso Angami as Champions of the reality show that was created in association with Toyam Sports.

14 February 2023, Ladakh: The competition was fierce and kept audiences on the edge of their seats! And, in the end, Monika Ghag, Mehdi Nasiri, and Neitso Angami emerged as the Champions of India’s first-ever MMA reality series ‘Kumite 1 Warrior Hunt,’ streaming exclusively on MX Player. After weeks of intense battles, these three talented MMA champions have proven their strength, skill, and determination to rise to the top.

The Champions of ‘Kumite 1 Warrior Hunt’ received a cash prize of USD 5000 along with an exclusive 3-year contract from Toyam Sports Ltd. As the winners, the trio will now have the opportunity to represent India on a global stage, raising the bar for the sport and inspiring the next generation of martial artists. They will also be trained Internationally to gain exposure with the best athletes abroad and represent ‘Team India’ in ‘K 1 Asian Championship’ in mid-2023 in UAE. They will also recieve nutritional and training facilities from leading brands that support sports and MMA including Fittr, Multifit, Body First, Riders and Aquatein.

Hailing from the tough terrain of Ladakh, Mehdi A.K.A “Notorious” Nasiri stood apart from other Champions for his grit and fierce fights despite not having the advantage of adequate training facilities in suitable weather conditions.

Host, Suniel Shetty said, “Congratulations to the winners of India’s first-ever MMA reality series Kumite 1 Warrior Hunt – Monika Ghag, Mehdi Nasiri and Neitso Angami. This is the real talent from the heartland of India. I take inspiration from these Champions and, this is just the beginning!

Delighted on being one of the three winners, Mehdi said, “I participated in this show only to show all that athletes from Ladakh are no less than other Indian from any other region. I gave it my all, had fantastic training and guidance thanks to Team Toyam Sports and our host, Suniel Shetty. My phone hasn’t stopped ringing after we went live on India’s No 1 platform, MX Player, with congratulations from so many known & unknown people. This is a step in putting MMA athletes from India in the spotlight!”

The MMA fighters from various parts of India who have been selected through several rounds of auditions for a title while being trained by renowned MMA coaches – Bharat Khandare and Pawan Maan are Rekha Choudhary, Monika Kiran Ghag, Priyanka Jeet Toshi, Heena Ali sher Shaikh, Lakhi Das, Harpreet Kaur, Shalu Sharma Kiran Singh, Siddharth Chandanshive, Mehdi Nasiri, Pradeep Hooda, Suraj Bahadur, Sameer Janjhotra, Sohail Khan, Krishna Payasi and Neitso Angami. Here’s getting to know the winners better:

Winners:

Name – Monika Kiran Ghag A.K.A “The Serpent”

Age – 25

Location: Navi Mumbai

Monika Ghag, the female winner of the series, is a 25-year-old MMA athlete from Navi Mumbai.

An independent, focused and hard-working girl who knows what she wants from her life and does not fear breaking the stereotypes. She stepped into MMA without her family’s support but became stronger as her husband became her pillar of strength. Within 3 months of playing, she represented Mumbai in an all-over India wrestling tournament and her ultimate goal is to win the UFC title.

Male Winners:

Name – Mehdi A.K.A “Notorious” Nasiri

Age – 30

Location: Ladakh

A businessman, trainer and MMA fighter, Mehdi returned to India after spending 21 years in Iran. Entering the MMA circuit in India was a task, but he overcame it with the help of a dear friend and regular practice. He believes sports guided him towards the right path in life and counts grappling ability and kicks as his biggest strengths. Having overcome the most challenging situations and extreme climatic conditions in Ladakh, he believes he can survive anything.

Name – Kekhrieneitso Angami A.KA. Nietso “Checkmate” Angami

Age – 25

Location – Dimapur. Nagaland

Profile – Coming from the land of Nagas, Nietso believes the blood of warriors is still alive in him. He started his journey as a taekwondo player, and looked down upon MMA, but was stunned by the intensity during his first session. He then trained himself to be the best. In 2018, Neitso emerged as champion in the lightweight category at the All India Mixed Martial Arts Federation (…….) nationals. For him, MMA has been a life-changer as he found himself, his discipline and his self-esteem. He aims to take Indian MMA and Nagaland to the world stage.

MX Player’s in-house content arm, MX Studios presents India’s first-ever MMA reality show ‘Kumite 1 Warrior Hunt’ in collaboration with Toyam Industries Ltd. Hosted by none other than MMA enthusiast and Hindi Cinema maven Suniel Shetty, the reality show unleashes power-packed challenges between the 16 shortlisted contestants and test their mettle to attain the title of the ultimate warrior.

Kumite 1 Warrior Hunt is a six-episode series, which is now streaming exclusively on MX Player.