Pro-fighter Alan Fenandes Talks About The Future Of MFN In India

India’s first promotion of mixed martial arts, Matrix Fight Night, has received tremendous popularity over the last few years. Pioneer MMA fighter from India, Alan Fenandes, is the man behind this success and he has built this success story from scratch. From convincing families to let their children join mixed martial arts to helping talented and determined fighters make it to international events, Alan has done it all. It is not an easy feat to achieve in a nation obsessed with cricket. However, Alan’s mission and vision have helped him achieve something unbelievable a couple of years ago.

In a recent, tête-à-tête, Alan opened but about MFN’s future and the challenges it has sailed through. MFN 8 was recently held in Delhi and a lot changed between MFN 7 and MFN 8. It is milestone that MFN 8 saw international fighters giving their best to the sport. Afghanistan’s Abdul Azim Badakhshi and Brazil’s Fabricio Oliveira competed against each other in the 8th iteration of the relatively new yet prestigious event. Apart from these fighters of international fame, 16 other MMA fighters participated in the event.

According to Alan, the growth has been phenomenal despite the pandemic and the challenges it posed. The managing director has expressed pride that MFN was founded in 2019 and survived the pandemic. That is a big deal for an endeavor so nascent. 

We also asked Alan Fenandes if women MMA fighters will be seen proving their mettle at MFN soon. He said that it is the first thing on cards for MFN and they have been constantly striving to identify, support and hone talented women fighters. Well, Alan is capable of doing that with his coaching expertise and an eye for the right talent. He has been an MMA coach for the past 17 years and is lovingly referred to as Alan ‘The Bull’ Fenandes.

About their plans of bringing a crossover promotional element to MFN, Alan said that they have plans for that as well, but they are currently on hold because the sport is still relatively new in the country. He said that it will still take some time for Indian fighting talent to get accustomed to international standards. They are desperately waiting for the right time when UFC fighters will be a part of MFN.

Alan revealed that MFN is in conversation with some broadcasters and MFN will soon be available on TV screens through a broadcast or streaming partner. Currently, the fights can only be viewed by live audiences.

We hope MFN achieves the popularity it deserves.

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