Anshul Jubli is an Indian Mixed Martial Artist who fights in the lightweight category. On 5 February 2023, he became the first MMA fighter from India to win the Road to UFC tournament organised by the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) following which he became the second Indian to sign a contract with the UFC after Bharat Khandare. He also became the first Indian to win an MMA tournament outside Asia.
Wiki/Biography
Anshul Jubli was born on Friday, 13 January 1995 (age 28 years; as of 2023) in New Delhi, India. He has earned a bachelor’s degree in science. In 2015, an elder brother of Anshul’s friend introduced him to combat sports. After completing his formal education, Anshul began preparing for the Combined Defence Services Examination. In 2017, he cleared his written exam but was rejected by the Service Selection Board (SSB). In an interview, Anshul said that he and his friend began watching videos uploaded on YouTube by famous MMA instructors like Firas Zahabi and John Danaher. He further said that he used to practise the steps and techniques taught by the instructors in the videos. Since there were no professional MMA training gyms in Dehradun, where his parents had settled, Anshul could not attend formal training in MMA. He, however, began learning boxing at a gym in Dehradun while preparing for the CDSE as he believed that earning certificates in a combat sport would help in getting selected for the Indian Army. While giving an interview, he said,
It was while preparing for the CDS that I and my friend came across the YouTube videos of Firas Zahabi, a renowned MMA coach, and John Danaher, a highly respected BJJ – and MMA instructor. We used study in day and would try to replicate the steps we learnt from the videos in the evening. This intrigued my interest in the sports even more.”
Anshul later realised that he wanted to pursue a career in MMA and dropped the idea of joining the Indian Army after he met a retired colonel who motivated him to do so. In 2018, to receive training for MMA, Anshul and his friend relocated to New Delhi, where they joined Crosstrain Fight Club (CFC). There, he received training in martial arts from a National Jiu-Jitsu champion Siddharth Singh in Jiu-Jitsu, kickboxing, wrestling, and grappling. Anshul, in an interview, said that he had to borrow money from his friends and live in a small room with three other people in Delhi because he was unemployed.
Physical Appearance
Height: 6′
Weight : 70 kg
Hair Colour: Black
Eye Colour: Dark Brown
Body Measurements (approx.): Chest: 46″, Waist: 32″, Biceps: 15″
Family
Anshul Jubli was born into a Garhwali family in Uttarakhand.
Parents & Siblings
His father is a retired officer of the Border Security Force (BSF).
Anshul Jubli’s father
A photo of Anshul with his mother
He has four sisters named Aastha Jubli, Ayushi Jubli, Shalini Jubli, and Manisha Jubli Rana. Shalini Jubli works in the corporate sector.
A photo of Anshul Jubli with Aastha Jubli taken during their childhood
Anshul Jubli’s sister Ayushi Jubli
Manisha Jubli, Anshul Jubli’s sister
Wife & Children
Anshul Jubli is unmarried.
Career
Amateur MMA tournaments
Anshul made his debut in the Amateur MMA against Harish Kumar at the Bodypower: India Open MMA Championships and emerged victorious in his fight. Anshul won the BodyPower India Open MMA Championship in 2017. Anshul Jubli participated in The Shillong Cage Fighting Championship in 2018; however, Anshul could not participate in the championship as his opponent left the competition leading to the match being cancelled.
Anshul participated in an MMA tournament held in the Philippines in 2019. He had to return to India after the tournament was abandoned by the matchmakers after a fight broke out between the players in the venue. While giving an interview, Anshul said that he had to borrow money from his friends at the CFC to take part in the tournament. After the match was cancelled, the matchmaker not only ignored Anshul’s phone calls but also blocked him on social media after which Anshul thought of leaving MMA as he had no money and had already borrowed a lot of money. Talking about it, he said,
Again, I ended up borrowing money from my close friends, who themselves were borrowing from other people,” he said, adding, “The event seemed well organised. I enjoyed a good face-off with my opponent before the fight, and even the local media were present. But as he was warming up, a fight broke out at the venue and the fight was cancelled. The cancellation upset me. The first thing I thought about was the money I had to pay my friends back. So, I approached the promoter of the event, who gave me all sorts of excuses about how he couldn’t compensate me. If not anything else, I asked him to give me enough money to buy a flight ticket back home. The shady promoter vanished from the venue, didn’t pick up my calls and even blocked me on Facebook.”
Throughout his career, Anshul Jubli participated in 13 amateur tournaments in which he remained undefeated.
Professional MMA tournaments
Anshul participated in his first professional MMA tournament on 29 June 2019 at Matrix Fight Night (MFN) 2. His first fight was against Sanjeet Budhwar. Anshul was not a part of the tournament when it began. He, however, joined the roster after he managed to convince his coach Siddharth that he could not only fight Sanjeet but also secure a victory against him. Anshul’s coach said that he recommended his name as nobody was willing to fight Sanjeet. Anshul secured a victory over Sanjeet via a unanimous decision.
Referee raising the hand of Anshul Jubli after he defeated Sanjeet Budhwar
He fought a match against Amit Kumar and defeated him by a unanimous decision at MFN 3 on 20 December 2019. On 20 February 2020, Anshul defeated Rajith Chandran by knocking him out with a punch in the fourth season of MFN. Anshul Jubli won a match against Srikant Sekhar on 20 December 2020 in MFN 5. Anshul took part in the sixth season of MFN on 24 September 2021. In the tournament, he was pitched against Mohammad Mahmoudiyan, an Iranian MMA fighter. Anshul secured victory over Mahmoudiyan via submission by giving him an arm triangle choke.
Anshul participated in the UFC-hosted Road to UFC tournament in Las Vegas, United States of America in 2022. On 10 June 2022, Anshul was supposed to fight against a Japanese MMA fighter named Patrick Sho Usami; however, the match did not take place as Patrick was disqualified on the grounds of weight management and Anshul was sent directly to the semi-finals. While giving an interview, Anshul said that he was disappointed over the disqualification of Patrick as he had prepared for the quarterfinals and was eager to fight. He further said that it took him two to three days to calm down. Talking about it, he said,
I was disappointed after I got to know that I have been elevated directly to the semi finals. I was not in a good frame of mind for the next two or three days. But slowly, I realised that what has happened, has happened and perhaps for the greater good.”
He fought against KyeongPyo Kim, a South Korean MMA fighter, and secured a victory over him by a split decision in the semi-finals on 23 October 2022.
Paradigm, a sports management company that manages famous MMA personalities like Conor McGregor and Israel Adesanya, signed a contract with Anshul in January 2023. On 5 February 2023, Anshul became the second Indian to sign a contract with the UFC after defeating an Indonesian MMA fighter named Jeka Saragih in the final round of the Road to UFC tournament.
Anshul Jubli and Jeka Saragih during the faceoff before the final round
A photo of Anshul Jubli taken after his victory in the final round of the Road to UFC
Awards
- Anshul Jubli received the Indian Fighter of the Year Award from the MMA India Show in 2021.
A post from MMA India Show announcing Anshul’s name as the winner of the Indian Fighter of the Year
- In 2019, he won the Best Fighter Award at MFN 2.
Anshul posing for a photo after winning the Best Fighter Award
- Anshul won gold medal at the National Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Open Championship in 2018.
Anshul Jubli’s gold medal that he won at the National Jiu-Jitsu Open Championship
- In 2017, he won an award and a certificate at the BodyPower India Open MMA Championship.
A photo of Anshul Jubli’s award and certificate
Favourites
- Quote: हमारे जीने का तरीका थोडा अलग हैं, हम ‘उम्मीद’ पर नहीं अपनी ‘ज़िद’ पर जीते हैं, I am ME and I am trying to be the best version of ME, I don’t stop when I am tired, I stop when I am done.
Facts/Trivia
- Anshul Jubli also goes by the name AJ.
- Anshul has earned the name King of Lions.
A photo of Anshul Jubli taken while he was posing with a T-shirt gifted to him by CFC
- Anshul follows a non-vegetarian diet.
An Instagram story uploaded by Anshul Jubli
- Anshul consumes liquor occasionally.
Anshul Jubli’s Instagram story
- Anshul Jubli is an avid dog lover. He has a pet named Scooby, a Golden Retriever.
Scooby, Anshul Jubli’s pet Golden Retriever
- Anshul’s interest in field sports like football and volleyball arose after he was bullied in sixth class.
- To earn money while preparing for CDSE, Anshul gave tuition in mathematics in Dehradun.
- Anshul Jubli owns a Royal Enfield Thunderbird.
Anshul Jubli’s Royal Enfield Thunderbird