BALI, Indonesia– In a country where Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) is still emerging, 21-year-old Raiwat Sagdeo from Nagpur is steadily carving out his path, fueled by grit, discipline, and unwavering belief.
Sagdeo’s journey into the combat sport began quietly—without fanfare and without his parents’ initial support.
“I put in the work silently, and over time, my parents began to see how serious I was. Eventually, they supported me wholeheartedly,” he said, reflecting on his early days in MMA.
Coming from a non-sporting background—his father works in the private sector and his mother is a homemaker—Sagdeo was first introduced to martial arts through school activities like taekwondo and karate while growing up in Pinjore, a town on the Haryana-Himachal Pradesh border.
After completing fifth grade, his family relocated to Chennai, where his interest in karate deepened. At just 12 years old, he participated in a point-fighting karate competition. He was disqualified for knocking out his opponent—a moment that made him realize he was built for full-contact combat sports.
That realization stayed with him, even after setbacks. He lost his first international amateur MMA bout to an Iranian opponent, and later suffered serious injuries—including tears to his meniscus, MCL, and ACL. Yet, his resilience never wavered.
“I was back in the gym in two days. I just sat on a stool and practiced punching,” he recalled. “Three months later, I entered a grappling tournament, and a month after that, I fought in another MMA match.”
Recently, Sagdeo secured a big win at CFN 34, where he defeated a tough American opponent, and clinched first place at the Bali Open grappling tournament.
He is currently training at Bali MMA under the guidance of Aleksei Zhiganov, a coach known for shaping both professional and amateur fighters.
A devoted fan of Bruce Lee and Conor McGregor, Sagdeo draws motivation from top-tier fighters and hopes to turn professional later this year. His amateur record stands at 4 wins, 2 losses, and no draws.
“The circle of fighters I train with is strong and full of like-minded individuals, all pushing for greatness,” he said. “I know that with the right guidance and consistent hard work, there’s no limit to what we can achieve. The journey is just beginning. I’m not chasing fame; I’m chasing greatness.” (Source: IANS)
