On 9 March, 2024, Chungreng Koren — a combined martial arts (MMA) fighter from Manipur also referred to as ‘The Indian Rhino’ — took his first step into the limelight on the Noida Indoor Stadium.
Competing within the co-main occasion of Matrix Combat Evening (MFN-14), India’s largest MMA promotion, Chungreng Koren took on veteran fighter Mohammed Farhad in a five-round battle for the (Interim) Bantamweight Title (61 kg). Because the fighters made their respective walk-ins to the octagon, the 16,000-strong crowd on the Noida Indoor Stadium cheered in anticipation.
What adopted was a dominant efficiency by Chungreng who took the veteran fighter down at will along with his relentless wrestling after which struck him with a barrage of ground-and-pound strikes until the referee intervened on the finish of Spherical 4. Following the battle, with the belt wrapped round his shoulder, he made an attraction to the Indian Prime Minister to revive peace in Manipur, which is at present going through ethnic violence.
Whereas his heartfelt attraction went viral, the second additionally marked Chungreng’s emergence as certainly one of India’s standout MMA fighters. When requested concerning the second when he gained the title, Chungreng says that he has no phrases to elucidate that feeling.
“Brother, I labored so exhausting and overcame a lot to be right here now. Now, I really feel like I’m discovering my method on this sport. Though this win is a turning level in my life, I’m solely getting began. After I lately went again dwelling, I used to be so glad and stunned to see individuals greet me on the airport. My village got here out to have a good time my success. Watching all this actually warmed my coronary heart. Now, I’m again in Delhi-NCR to assist my teammates at Warrior’s Cove put together for his or her fights,” says the fighter from the Koireng tribe.
The Koireng tribe is without doubt one of the 33 formally recognised indigenous communities of Manipur.
Chungreng’s journey from crushing poverty to MFN champion is exceptional. It’s a narrative of resolve, fortitude, perseverance, willpower and can—all hallmarks of an actual fighter.
Discovering a method out
From Kamu Koireng village in Kangpokpi district, Manipur, which lies about 35 km away from Imphal, the state capital, Chunregeng Koren grew up because the youngest of 4 kids.
“My father died when my mom was pregnant with me. She needed to tackle the duty of elevating my two brothers, sister and me. There have been few livelihood alternatives in my village aside from farming and labour work. No matter we grew on our land, together with rice, cucumbers and pumpkins, we bought them at a neighborhood market in Imphal. We’d stroll 4 km and catch the bus to Imphal. It was very tough for her however she was decided to feed us,” she provides.
Fortuitously, there was an aged girl on the market, in all probability a vegetable wholesaler or dealer, who commonly noticed Neisem (Chungreng’s mom) on the market and heard about how she was struggling financially. Barely a younger boy on the time, he remembers what occurs subsequent.
“At some point, once we got here to the market, that aged girl approached my mom saying that her daughter was a wrestling coach on the Particular Areas Video games (SAG) centre run by the Sports activities Authority of India (SAI) within the Khuman Lampak space of Imphal,” he remembers.
“Throughout their dialog, my mom talked about shedding her husband and the monetary struggles at dwelling. My mom additionally stated that she had three sons, and if her [elderly lady’s] daughter might coach certainly one of them, she could be very grateful. Quickly, a wrestling coach visited our dwelling, took a take a look at me and agreed to teach me. I began coaching in wrestling after I was about 12 or 13 on the SAG centre in Khuman Lampak,” he provides.
After struggling for a yr, he developed a superb understanding of wrestling and started competing in numerous age teams representing Manipur in regional tournaments. Chungreng aimed to sooner or later characterize India within the Olympics. In the meantime, his mom was working within the fields again dwelling, barely incomes Rs 150 to Rs 200 a day, and his elder brothers discovered work working JCBs far-off up within the hills. Schooling was a luxurious they couldn’t afford.
“I didn’t have cash to come back again dwelling and go to my household. I didn’t even have cash to journey for tournaments. There have been instances I’d borrow cash from my buddies with a promise to return it. Regardless of getting chosen to compete in nationwide tournaments, I didn’t have the cash to journey. I bear in mind juniors coaching with me, would discuss behind my again saying that I used to be poor. I had aspirations of competing within the Olympics and regardless of progressing effectively, poverty got here in the way in which. Each time I consider these instances, I begin to cry,” he remembers with tears flowing down.
After wrestling for a few years, Chungreng determined that his time was better-spent farming, working as a farm hand on rice fields and supporting the household. By the center of 2012, he determined to give up wrestling altogether, fell in love, received married, and went again dwelling. A couple of yr and a half later, his first baby was born, and life appeared destined to go in a sure course.
“One evening, nevertheless, out of nowhere, a special type of feeling struck me. At evening, I’d all of a sudden get the urge to do push-ups and different workouts. When my spouse requested me what occurred, I advised her that I had a deep want to compete in sports activities. Regardless of our monetary state of affairs, I couldn’t surrender the urge to compete and it was bothering me quite a bit,” he remembers.
This went on for about two months till he had no selection however to speak in confidence to his mom as effectively. Chungreng advised her that he wished to practise wrestling once more and compete.
“I wished to do extra with my life. In response, my mom stated that since I had a spouse and a baby, how would I help them with no cash coming in from wrestling? My mom additionally stated that she was rising outdated and wanted assist working the family. This backwards and forwards went on for a yr till I advised my mom that if I didn’t return to wrestling, I’d lose my thoughts and that I wished my baby to play sports activities and have an opportunity at a greater life,” he notes.
This modified his mom’s thoughts a little bit, however ultimately, it was a neighborhood pastor who satisfied her to let him practice once more with the assumption that it could quantity to one thing higher. In 2016, Chungreng got here again to wrestling. To assist chase his dream, his mom labored even tougher, bought no matter she might develop, and located work in Imphal. The 4 of them (Chungreng, his mom, spouse and baby) moved to a one-room residence close to the Khuman Lampak space. Whereas he was coaching within the morning, he labored as a development labourer within the afternoon and night.
After coaching for almost two years, he certified for the Nationwide Video games competing within the males’s 72 kg class. “To sponsor my journey and coaching, my mom went again to our village and picked up cash by asking everybody to contribute no matter quantity they might,” he says.
Whereas the Nationwide Video games have been slated to be held in Goa in November 2017, Chungreng determined to coach on the SAI facility in Rohtak, Haryana. For a month earlier than the occasion, he skilled effectively however the occasion was postponed with no date in sight of when it was going to occur. It was a devastating blow. The subsequent Nationwide Video games would solely happen in Gujarat in 2022.
MMA calling
Together with his wrestling profession not going anyplace, Chungreng determined to name Roshan Mainam, an MMA fighter from Manipur and an acquaintance from his first stint in wrestling. Following the Nationwide Video games debacle, Chungreng advised Roshan that he wished to coach and compete in MMA as a result of there was nothing else left for him. At the moment, Roshan was attempting out for Evolve MMA, a famend Singapore-based health club, which produces fighters for ONE Championship — Asia’s most recognised MMA promotion — and different main promotions from around the globe.
Talking to The Higher India, Roshan remembers, “We first met someday in 2006 at junior wrestling tournaments in Manipur though he was competing in the next weight class. By 2018, as I used to be getting recognised for MMA within the Northeast, he noticed the potential of creating the swap from wrestling. After seeing the popularity I used to be getting, we received in contact.”
“Following some success within the sport, my monetary state of affairs began to get higher. In November 2018, I used to be chosen to coach on the prestigious Evolve MMA health club in Singapore. However a few months earlier, whereas I used to be coaching at Koi Fight Academy in Bengaluru, I invited Chungreng to come back down and practice there. Initially, I took care of all his bills to coach on the academy as a result of he was not in a superb place financially,” he provides.
“Roshan invited me to coach at Koi Fight Academy and skilled me for about two months earlier than leaving for Singapore, following which Vishal [Seigell] Sir took over,” remembers Chungreng.
Following his choice to Evolve MMA, Roshan signed a $48,000-a-year contract for 3 years during which he would practice full-time and compete in ONE Championship.
“Even after I was coaching in Singapore, I used to be serving to fighters like Chungreng who have been struggling financially. The explanation why I help fighters like him is as a result of I come from comparable circumstances. I grew up as a sickly baby in a poor household with a chronically sick father and a mom who labored extraordinarily exhausting at a rice mill,” says Roshan.
“I additionally didn’t have cash to coach after I first moved to Delhi to coach in MMA, and fortunately had coaches there who supported me equally. So, I promised to myself that if I ever earned any notoriety within the sport, I’d assist different fighters after me from Manipur,” he provides.
Regardless of no matter help Roshan might provide, it wasn’t sufficient and Chungreng was nonetheless struggling to make ends meet. When COVID-19 struck, Chungreng left Bengaluru and his MMA goals have been hanging within the steadiness. However in the course of the transient lull after the primary wave, Roshan opened a health club in Imphal known as RMX Combined Martial Arts & Health the place he took in Chungreng as a coach.
Nonetheless, the time spent coaching in Bengaluru would additionally permit him to tackle 23 newbie fights (all wins) and his first skilled battle on the Warriors Combating Championship (WFC), a neighborhood promotion, in January 2020. It was a helpful expertise.
First loss and redemption
Teaching and coaching at RMX, nevertheless, wasn’t giving Chungreng what he wanted to develop within the sport. What’s extra, his eldest brother died in 2020 following a tragic accident which left him with extra duty to help his household. Whereas this job as a coach gave him an earnings he sorely wanted, it took a toll on his MMA profession. And that realisation dawned on him after his first skilled loss in December 2021 to Uttarakhand’s Angad Bisht at MFN-7.
“See, I took this battle on brief discover with no coaching camp. All I did earlier than this battle was run, sweat and make weight. I took this battle as a result of I wanted the cash to pay again curiosity on a mortgage my household had taken. After shedding the battle, nevertheless, I contemplated suicide. My wrestling profession fell aside earlier than it might begin and I had simply suffered my first loss in MMA. Shedding this battle actually compelled me to introspect. Whereas Roshan was coaching in Singapore, there was nobody I might practice with in Manipur who might take my sport to the subsequent degree. So, I conveyed this message to Roshan and stated I wanted to coach outdoors Manipur,” he remembers.
After this dialog, Chungreng received a name from a fellow fighter whom he had met earlier in Bengaluru, and heard that there was a health club there that wished to recruit fighters. He was advised that the health club there would maintain all his dwelling bills. So, he got here again to Bengaluru as soon as once more and started coaching.
This second stint in Bengaluru would change Chungreng’s life.
“Right here, I met Coach Ashwin Hoon of Warrior’s Cove MMA, a health club primarily based out of Gurugram, who was there for a seminar. I beloved the way in which he was instructing us and the strategies he was exhibiting us, however greater than that, he was simply an excellent individual. I knew that if I skilled underneath him, I’d enhance. He was the coach I used to be in search of all this time. I didn’t care about dropping the sponsorship I used to be getting in Bengaluru. So, I spoke to Ashwin Sir and made my option to Delhi-NCR to coach at Warrior’s Cove MMA,” he remembers.
Since Ashwin turned his coach, Chungreng hasn’t misplaced a single battle. He’s at present on a four-fight win streak and holds knowledgeable document of 6-1 (six wins and one loss).
“At the moment, issues are much more secure financially with my MMA profession on the rise whereas additionally working as a coach at this health club with near 50 college students. For years, I felt like I used to be carrying a 1,000 kg load on my shoulders worrying about how I used to be going to make it in life, make it as knowledgeable fighter, and the way am I going to help my household. Now, I can no less than breathe a little bit simpler. My objective is to make it into the Final Combating Championship (UFC). For now, nevertheless, I’m trying to unify the MFN Bantamweight Belt and enhance my sport,” he says.
“Chungreng’s speedy ascent in MMA is essentially right down to his sturdy wrestling background. It’s a superb factor that he’s an MFN champion, however he shouldn’t restrict himself to this degree. He must compete towards higher competitors in larger promotions like UFC, PFL, and ONE. Competing at that degree requires lots of exhausting work however Indian fighters want to indicate that they will compete towards the perfect on the planet and grow to be champions,” says Roshan.
(Edited by Pranita Bhat; Pictures courtesy Chungreng Koren/Instagram)