On 9 March, 2024, Chungreng Koren — a combined martial arts (MMA) fighter from Manipur often referred to as ‘The Indian Rhino’ — took his first step into the limelight on the Noida Indoor Stadium.
Competing within the co-main tournament of Matrix Struggle Night time (MFN-14), India’s greatest MMA promotion, Chungreng Koren took on veteran fighter Mohammed Farhad in a five-round combat for the (Meantime) Bantamweight Identify (61 kg). Because the warring parties made their respective walk-ins to the octagon, the 16,000-strong crowd on the Noida Indoor Stadium cheered in anticipation.
What adopted used to be a dominant efficiency through Chungreng who took the veteran fighter down at will together with his relentless wrestling after which struck him with a barrage of ground-and-pound moves until the referee intervened on the finish of Spherical 4. Following the combat, with the belt wrapped round his shoulder, he made an attraction to the Indian Top Minister to revive peace in Manipur, which is recently going through ethnic violence.
Whilst his heartfelt attraction went viral, the instant additionally marked Chungreng’s emergence as one in every of India’s standout MMA warring parties. When requested in regards to the second when he gained the identify, Chungreng says that he has no phrases to provide an explanation for that feeling.
“Brother, I labored so laborious and overcame such a lot to be right here now. Now, I think like I’m discovering my means on this recreation. Despite the fact that this win is a turning level in my lifestyles, I’m handiest getting began. Once I not too long ago went again house, I used to be so satisfied and shocked to peer folks greet me on the airport. My village got here out to have a good time my luck. Staring at all this in reality warmed my middle. Now, I’m again in Delhi-NCR to lend a hand my teammates at Warrior’s Cove get ready for his or her fights,” says the fighter from the Koireng tribe.
The Koireng tribe is likely one of the 33 formally recognised indigenous communities of Manipur.
Chungreng’s adventure from crushing poverty to MFN champion is exceptional. It’s a tale of get to the bottom of, fortitude, perseverance, choice and can—all hallmarks of an actual fighter.
Discovering some way out
From Kamu Koireng village in Kangpokpi district, Manipur, which lies about 35 km clear of Imphal, the state capital, Chunregeng Koren grew up because the youngest of 4 kids.
“My father died when my mom used to be pregnant with me. She needed to take at the duty of elevating my two brothers, sister and me. There have been few livelihood alternatives in my village excluding for farming and labour paintings. No matter we grew on our land, together with rice, cucumbers and pumpkins, we offered them at an area marketplace in Imphal. We’d stroll 4 km and catch the bus to Imphal. It used to be very tough for her however she used to be made up our minds to feed us,” she provides.
Thankfully, there used to be an aged girl on the marketplace, almost definitely a vegetable wholesaler or dealer, who incessantly noticed Neisem (Chungreng’s mom) on the marketplace and heard about how she used to be suffering financially. Slightly a tender boy on the time, he recalls what occurs subsequent.
“In the future, once we got here to the marketplace, that aged girl approached my mom pronouncing that her daughter used to be a wrestling trainer on the Particular Spaces Video games (SAG) centre run through the Sports activities Authority of India (SAI) within the Khuman Lampak space of Imphal,” he remembers.
“All through their dialog, my mom mentioned shedding her husband and the monetary struggles at house. My mom additionally stated that she had 3 sons, and if her [elderly lady’s] daughter may trainer one in every of them, she can be very thankful. Quickly, a wrestling trainer visited our house, took a take a look at me and agreed to train me. I began coaching in wrestling when I used to be about 12 or 13 on the SAG centre in Khuman Lampak,” he provides.
After suffering for a 12 months, he advanced a just right figuring out of wrestling and started competing in numerous age teams representing Manipur in regional tournaments. Chungreng aimed to at some point constitute India within the Olympics. In the meantime, his mom used to be operating within the fields again house, slightly incomes Rs 150 to Rs 200 an afternoon, and his elder brothers discovered paintings working JCBs some distance away up within the hills. Schooling used to be a luxurious they couldn’t manage to pay for.
“I didn’t have cash to come back again house and talk over with my circle of relatives. I didn’t also have cash to shuttle for tournaments. There have been instances I might borrow cash from my pals with a promise to go back it. Regardless of getting decided on to compete in nationwide tournaments, I didn’t have the cash to shuttle. I have in mind juniors coaching with me, would communicate in the back of my again pronouncing that I used to be deficient. I had aspirations of competing within the Olympics and in spite of progressing smartly, poverty got here in the way in which. On every occasion I recall to mind those instances, I begin to cry,” he remembers with tears flowing down.
After wrestling for a few years, Chungreng made up our minds that his time used to be better-spent farming, operating as a farm hand on rice fields and supporting the circle of relatives. By means of the center of 2012, he made up our minds to give up wrestling altogether, fell in love, were given married, and went again house. A couple of 12 months and a part later, his first kid used to be born, and lifestyles appeared destined to head in a undeniable course.
“One night time, alternatively, out of nowhere, a special more or less feeling struck me. At night time, I might unexpectedly get the urge to do push-ups and different workouts. When my spouse requested me what came about, I informed 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 used to be bothering me so much,” he remembers.
This went on for roughly two months till he had no selection however to divulge heart’s contents to his mom as smartly. Chungreng informed her that he sought after to practise wrestling once more and compete.
“I sought after to do extra with my lifestyles. In reaction, my mom stated that since I had a spouse and a kid, how would I make stronger them and not using a cash coming in from wrestling? My mom additionally stated that she used to be rising previous and wanted lend a hand operating the family. This from side to side went on for a 12 months till I informed my mom that if I didn’t return to wrestling, I might lose my thoughts and that I sought after my kid to play sports activities and feature an opportunity at a greater lifestyles,” he notes.
This modified his mom’s thoughts a bit, however ultimately, it used to be an area pastor who satisfied her to let him teach once more with the conclusion that it will quantity to one thing greater. In 2016, Chungreng got here again to wrestling. To lend a hand chase his dream, his mom labored even more difficult, offered no matter she may develop, and located paintings in Imphal. The 4 of them (Chungreng, his mom, spouse and kid) moved to a one-room place of dwelling close to the Khuman Lampak space. Whilst he used to be coaching within the morning, he labored as a building labourer within the afternoon and night.
After coaching for just about two years, he certified for the Nationwide Video games competing within the males’s 72 kg class. “To sponsor my shuttle and coaching, my mom went again to our village and picked up cash through asking everybody to give a contribution no matter quantity they may,” he says.
Whilst the Nationwide Video games have been slated to be held in Goa in November 2017, Chungreng made up our minds to coach on the SAI facility in Rohtak, Haryana. For a month prior to the development, he educated smartly however the tournament used to be postponed and not using a date in sight of when it used to be going to occur. It used to be a devastating blow. The following Nationwide Video games would handiest happen in Gujarat in 2022.
MMA calling
Along with his wrestling profession now not going anyplace, Chungreng made up our minds 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 informed Roshan that he sought after to coach and compete in MMA as a result of there used to be not anything else left for him. At the moment, Roshan used to be testing for Evolve MMA, a famend Singapore-based fitness center, which produces warring parties for ONE Championship — Asia’s maximum recognised MMA promotion — and different primary promotions from world wide.
Chatting with The Higher India, Roshan remembers, “We first met someday in 2006 at junior wrestling tournaments in Manipur even though he used to be competing in a better weight class. By means of 2018, as I used to be getting recognised for MMA within the Northeast, he noticed the potential for making the transfer from wrestling. After seeing the popularity I used to be getting, we were given involved.”
“Following some luck within the recreation, my monetary state of affairs began to recuperate. In November 2018, I used to be decided on to coach on the prestigious Evolve MMA fitness center in Singapore. However a few months previous, whilst I used to be coaching at Koi Struggle Academy in Bengaluru, I invited Chungreng to come back down and teach there. To start with, I took care of all his bills to coach on the academy as a result of he used to be now not in a just right position financially,” he provides.
“Roshan invited me to coach at Koi Struggle Academy and educated me for roughly two months prior to leaving for Singapore, following which Vishal [Seigell] Sir took over,” remembers Chungreng.
Following his variety to Evolve MMA, Roshan signed a $48,000-a-year contract for 3 years by which he would teach full-time and compete in ONE Championship.
“Even if I used to be coaching in Singapore, I used to be serving to warring parties like Chungreng who have been suffering financially. The explanation why I make stronger warring parties like him is as a result of I come from equivalent instances. I grew up as a sickly kid in a deficient circle of relatives with a chronically unwell father and a mom who labored extraordinarily laborious at a rice mill,” says Roshan.
“I additionally didn’t have cash to coach once I first moved to Delhi to coach in MMA, and fortunately had coaches there who supported me in a similar way. So, I promised to myself that if I ever earned any notoriety within the recreation, I might lend a hand different warring parties after me from Manipur,” he provides.
Regardless of no matter make stronger Roshan may be offering, it wasn’t sufficient and Chungreng used to be nonetheless suffering to make ends meet. When COVID-19 struck, Chungreng left Bengaluru and his MMA desires have been putting within the stability. However all over the temporary lull after the primary wave, Roshan opened a fitness center in Imphal known as RMX Combined Martial Arts & Health the place he took in Chungreng as a trainer.
Nevertheless, the time spent coaching in Bengaluru would additionally permit him to tackle 23 newbie fights (all wins) and his first skilled combat on the Warriors Preventing Championship (WFC), an area promotion, in January 2020. It used to be a precious revel in.
First loss and redemption
Training and coaching at RMX, alternatively, wasn’t giving Chungreng what he had to develop within the recreation. What’s extra, his eldest brother died in 2020 following a sad coincidence which left him with extra duty to make stronger his circle of relatives. Whilst this activity as a trainer gave him an source of revenue 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 combat on brief understand with no coaching camp. All I did prior to this combat used to be run, sweat and make weight. I took this combat as a result of I wanted the cash to pay again hobby on a mortgage my circle of relatives had taken. After shedding the combat, alternatively, I pondered suicide. My wrestling profession fell aside prior to it would get started and I had simply suffered my first loss in MMA. Dropping this combat in reality pressured me to introspect. Whilst Roshan used to be coaching in Singapore, there used to be nobody I may teach with in Manipur who may take my recreation to the following stage. So, I conveyed this message to Roshan and stated I had to teach out of doors Manipur,” he remembers.
After this dialog, Chungreng were given a decision from a fellow fighter whom he had met previous in Bengaluru, and heard that there used to be a fitness center there that sought after to recruit warring parties. He used to be informed that the fitness center there would deal with all his residing bills. So, he got here again to Bengaluru as soon as once more and started coaching.
This 2d stint in Bengaluru would alternate Chungreng’s lifestyles.
“Right here, I met Trainer Ashwin Hoon of Warrior’s Cove MMA, a fitness center founded out of Gurugram, who used to be there for a seminar. I cherished the way in which he used to be educating us and the ways he used to be appearing us, however greater than that, he used to be simply an excellent particular person. I knew that if I educated below him, I might make stronger. He used to be the trainer I used to be on the lookout for all this time. I didn’t care about shedding the sponsorship I used to be entering into Bengaluru. So, I spoke to Ashwin Sir and made my technique to Delhi-NCR to coach at Warrior’s Cove MMA,” he remembers.
Since Ashwin was his trainer, Chungreng hasn’t misplaced a unmarried combat. He’s recently on a four-fight win streak and holds a certified file of 6-1 (six wins and one loss).
“These days, issues are much more strong financially with my MMA profession on the upward thrust whilst additionally operating as a trainer at this fitness center with just about 50 scholars. For years, I felt like I used to be wearing a 1,000 kg load on my shoulders being concerned about how I used to be going to make it in lifestyles, make it as a certified fighter, and the way am I going to make stronger my circle of relatives. Now, I will be able to no less than breathe a bit more uncomplicated. My function is to make it into the Final Preventing Championship (UFC). For now, alternatively, I’m having a look to unify the MFN Bantamweight Belt and make stronger my recreation,” he says.
“Chungreng’s speedy ascent in MMA is in large part right down to his solid wrestling background. It’s a just right factor that he’s an MFN champion, however he shouldn’t prohibit himself to this stage. He must compete in opposition to greater festival in larger promotions like UFC, PFL, and ONE. Competing at that stage calls for numerous laborious paintings however Indian warring parties want to display that they may be able to compete in opposition to the most efficient on this planet and turn out to be champions,” says Roshan.
(Edited through Pranita Bhat; Pictures courtesy Chungreng Koren/Instagram)