Anshul Jubli Welcomes Responsibility of Representing India in the UFC

India’s Anshul Jubli isn’t shying away from the responsibility that comes with representing an entire country on the biggest mixed martial arts platform in the world.

While former Matrix Fight Night champ Puja Tomar recently joined Jubli as the only other Indian on the Ultimate Fighting Championship roster, “King of Lions” is widely regarded as the face of Indian MMA.

While Jubli acknowledges the gravity of the responsibility of shouldering an entire country’s expectations, the 29-year-old welcomes the opportunity. Jubli believes not everyone is blessed with such a burden and that no one could have shouldered it better than him.

“Yes, it’s a huge, huge responsibility to represent the entire country on a platform like the UFC. But I think it’s a good thing, right?” Jubli told fans during a recent meet and greet. “Such responsibilities don’t come to everyone like the one I’ve got. I considered myself blessed to have received this responsibility. No one can shoulder this responsibility better than me.”

The winner of Road to UFC 1 in the lightweight bracket, Jubli made his UFC debut against Mike Breeden at UFC 294 in October 2023. The then-undefeated prospect was comfortably beating Breeden on the scorecards through the first two rounds before “Money” came from behind to score a knockout win in the third round.

Jubli acknowledged that he made some mistakes in his first loss and has also realized how a minor slip-up could cost him on a stage like the UFC. Taking it as a lesson in his stride, Jubli has since made changes to his camp and vows to secure a win in his next promotional appearance.

“About the last fight, there had been some mistakes. Obviously, I’m just starting off in my career and I realized that in a platform of the UFC’s caliber, the smallest of mistakes can cost you a lot,” said Jubli. “I have changed my program and rearranged my entire training pattern. I plan on performing better in the next fight and coming back with the victory, and then we will celebrate.”