๐ผ๐๐ฏ๐๐ฌ๐กย โ June 10, 2026, marked a triumphant homecoming forย ๐ก๐ฎ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐ตย ๐๐ฎ๐น๐๐ต๐ฎ๐๐๐ฎ๐น๐ฎ, who recently secured a highly coveted $100,000 contract with ONE Championship, alongside a $10,000 performance bonus. Shattering the misconception that Indians cannot compete at the highest levels of combat sports, Nazareth has firmly placed India on the global MMA map. His return flight was proudly sponsored by the Mizoram State Mixed Martial Arts Association (MISMA), and upon arrival, on the next day, he was formally felicitated by the Sports Minister in his chambers.
๐ง๐ต๐ฒย ๐ฅ๐ถ๐๐ฒย ๐ผ๐ณย ๐ ๐ ๐ย ๐ถ๐ปย ๐๐ต๐ฒย ๐ฆ๐๐ฎ๐๐ฒ
This milestone follows closely on the heels of another historic event. On May 29, 2026, Mizoram welcomed currentย ๐จ๐๐ย ๐๐น๐๐๐ฒ๐ถ๐ด๐ต๐ย ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐บ๐ฝ๐ถ๐ผ๐ปย ๐๐ผ๐๐ต๐๐ฎย ๐ฉ๐ฎ๐ป. Marking the first time a current UFC champion has ever visited India, Van trained with local fighters and served as a Special Guest at the Zonet MISMA Fight Night on May 30. Joining him from his hometown were other distinguished guests โ Rome Thalop (CEO of Thalop Group), Dakota Hope (UFC Fighter & Trainer at 4oz Fight Club), Rohming Thalop (VP of Commercial and Home Lending) and Van Lian (Sushi Chef at SushiBoi).
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The Fight Night, co-organized by Zonet and MISMA, made a record of fully packed attendance during a sporting event at the Stateโs biggest indoor stadium and drew an impressive roster of dignitaries, including theย ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ฒ๐ณย ๐ ๐ถ๐ป๐ถ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฟย ๐ฆ๐ต๐ฟ๐ถย ๐๐ฎ๐น๐ฑ๐๐ต๐ผ๐บ๐ฎ, other Ministers, and Members of the Legislative Assembly. The monumental effort to facilitate the UFC Champion and organize the historic fight night was spearheaded by the Sports Minister and the Mizoram State Sports Council, with crucial support from LESDE, Tourism Development, and various sponsors.
Mizoram, under the current ZPM government, has already been making waves as an emerging tourist hub, drawing national and global visitorsโespecially during the 2025 year-end festive season. Now, the state governmentโs proactive support for youth development and global trends like MMA is creating aย ๐ป๐ฒ๐ย ๐๐ฎ๐๐ฒย ๐ผ๐ณย ๐๐ฝ๐ผ๐ฟ๐๐ย ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐บ. The prospect of attending high-level fight nights in Mizoram is becoming a major draw for travelers.ย
At the forefront of this movement isย ๐ฆ๐ฝ๐ผ๐ฟ๐๐ย ๐ ๐ถ๐ป๐ถ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฟย ๐ฆ๐ต๐ฟ๐ถย ๐๐ฎ๐น๐ป๐ด๐ต๐ถ๐ป๐ด๐น๐ผ๐๐ฎย ๐๐บ๐ฎ๐ฟ, who is garnering widespread praise from the combat sports community across the country. His dedication to developing MMAโa sport that offers highly entertaining spectacles for fans and sustainable, professional career paths for athletesโhas been instrumental in the regionโs growth. Notably, his recent public statement on 10 June, 2026 expressing intent to seeย ๐ ๐ ๐ย ๐ผ๐ณ๐ณ๐ถ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฎ๐น๐น๐ย ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ด๐ป๐ถ๐๐ฒ๐ฑย ๐ฎ๐ย ๐ฎย ๐ฑ๐ถ๐๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฝ๐น๐ถ๐ป๐ฒย ๐๐ป๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟย ๐๐ต๐ฒย ๐ฆ๐๐ฎ๐๐ฒย ๐ฆ๐ฝ๐ผ๐ฟ๐๐ย ๐๐ผ๐๐ป๐ฐ๐ถ๐นย has made major headlines.
Moreover, the recent Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the UFC and the US Government has secured a highly promising future for fighters. Coupled with UFC Freedom 250 on June 14, 2025โthe first-ever sporting event held at the White Houseโthese historic milestones have sparked a massive global surge in MMAโs popularity, significantly capturing the attention of the Indian audience as well.
๐ง๐ต๐ฒย ๐ฆ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ย ๐ฅ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฝ๐ฒ:ย ๐ ๐๐ฆ๐ ๐โ๐ย ๐ฉ๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป
Registered in 2013, MISMA was founded with a clear vision: to develop professional fighters who can build self-sustaining careers.ย Following the Olympic Council of Asiaโs landmark recognition of MMA as a medal sport at the Asian Youth Games, the Asian Indoor & Martial Arts Games, and the Asian Games, MISMA has intensified its efforts. The organization is now focused on building a robust amateur pipeline to launch professional careers, forge world champions, and bring home medals for India across the Asian Games circuit.ย The associationโs roots in the sport run deep, having produced top talent since the days of the Super Fight League (SFL), with the SFL contenders for Northeast India famously held in Mizoram. In 2016, the state hosted the first major MMA event in Northeast India โ JSJ Fight League, and acquired the regionโs first MMA cage.
To fund its operations, MISMA relies on annual contributions from its executive members, alongside sponsors and key leaders likeย ๐๐ฟ.ย ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐บ๐ย ๐.ย ๐ฃ๐ฎ๐๐๐ย andย ๐๐.ย ๐๐ผ๐น.ย ๐๐น๐ฒ๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐ย ๐๐ฎ๐น๐ต๐บ๐ถ๐ป๐ด๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ป๐ด๐ฎ. This support has allowed the association to consistently organize state championships and Fight Nights, while sending athletes to national competitions.
The results speak for themselves. MISMAโs amateur circuit has shaped elite fighters like PMS Dawngliana, a national champion who fought in BRAVE Combat Federation. More recently, stars like Zarmawia and Nazareth honed their skills at the MISMA-affiliated SPES Martial Arts Academy in Aizawl. Supported and sponsored by MISMA, both fighters became three-time national champions before turning pro and signing with ONE Championship.
๐๐ ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ๐ถ๐ป๐ดย ๐๐ฐ๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ย ๐๐ต๐ฒย ๐ฆ๐๐ฎ๐๐ฒ:ย ๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐๐ฟ๐ผ๐ผ๐๐ย ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑย ๐๐ต๐ฒย ๐ฅ๐ถ๐๐ฒย ๐ผ๐ณย ๐๐ฒ๐บ๐ฎ๐น๐ฒย ๐ง๐ฎ๐น๐ฒ๐ป๐
The revolution is not confined to the capital. MISMA has aggressively expanded its development into the southern region of the state, successfully organizing two major Fight Nights in Lunglei under the aegis of Lunglei District MMA Association and Elbruz gum headed by Lalrintluangi and Biaksangpuia. Today, the association boastsย ๐ฎ๐ณ๐ณ๐ถ๐น๐ถ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐ฑย ๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ป๐ถ๐ป๐ดย ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ย ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ย ๐ฎ๐น๐นย ๐ฒ๐น๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ปย ๐ฑ๐ถ๐๐๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฐ๐๐ย ๐ผ๐ณย ๐ ๐ถ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐บ, ensuring that raw talent from every corner of the state has a clear path to the big stage.
This statewide network is already producing spectacular results, including the rise of top-tier professional athletes- Lalnunsanga and Lalnunmawia training out of SPES gym, Aizawl and Lalramhlimpuii, a rising female star out of Elbruz Combat Academy in Lunglei, have emerged as one of the stateโs most promising prospects. Alongside SPES and Elbruz, a powerhouse network of affiliated gymsโincluding Elite, PMS, CT, and Originโcontinues to fuel Mizoramโs unstoppable production line of elite martial artists.
The current MISMAโs dedicated elected office bearers are:
โขย ๐ง.ย ๐๐ฎ๐น๐ฟ๐ถ๐ป๐ฝ๐๐ถ๐ฎ, President (Veteran wrestler and national referee & judge)
โขย ๐๐ฎ๐น๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ธ๐ถ๐บ๐ฎ, Treasurer (Entrepreneur and national referee & judge)
โขย ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐บ๐๐ฒ๐นย ๐๐ฎ๐น๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ฎ๐บ๐ฎ, General Secretary (veteran fighter, International referee & judge, international certified coach, and national executive board member)
Mizoram now features three fully functional MMA cages, most notably the one at Lalremruataโs Elite MMA Gym, which hosts the state championship tournaments. Yet, MISMAโs greatest asset remains its devoted executive members and referee & judge panel. From executive members working through the night to assemble and dismantle cages, to a medical commission of three registered doctors attending athletes for free, to designers and printers donating their skills, and volunteers running around for necessary choresโthe entire association is powered by a community freely giving their time for the love of the sport.
Today, MISMA operates as a recognized state affiliate of MMA Indiaโthe nationโs premier federation led by General Secretaryย ๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ฎ๐ฑย ๐๐ฎ๐ถ๐๐ผ๐ป๐ฑ๐ฒย and Asian MMA Federationโs Senior Vice Presidentย ๐ฆ๐ต๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ณย ๐๐ฎ๐ฝ๐. MMA India is affiliated with the International MMA Federation (IMMAF) which is supported by the UFC and BRAVE Combat Federation.
