Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC) and Bare Knuckle Fight League (BKFL) officially announce their historic entry into India, unlocking one of the world’s largest and most passionate combat sports markets.

This landmark expansion is being led by World League of Fighters (WLF) — the official license holder for BKFC — co-founded by Rajesh Banga, Sunil Mathew, and Siraj Gill, who together with David Feldman and Conor McGregor have invited Mr. Parag Sanghvi, prominent film producer, and Tiger Shroff, superstar in Indian cinema and martial artist, to join the board and help shape BKFC’s growth into a global phenomenon with India at its core. BKFC is already the fastest-growing combat sports organization in the world.

World League of Fighters (WLF) enters India with formidable global credentials, having successfully delivered the biggest and most electrifying BKFC event in the Middle East last year — a sold-out spectacle in Dubai that sent fans into a frenzy and set new benchmarks for live combat entertainment in the region.

For the first time in combat sports history, India will host a team-based bare-knuckle league format, transforming fights into a high-stakes global franchise competition — making the sport faster, fiercer, and more thrilling for fans worldwide.

The inaugural teams include:

Crushers • Punishers • Warriors • Phantoms • Gladiators • Infernos

To further strengthen the platform’s leadership, Mr. Rahul Saxena has been appointed Chief Executive Officer (CEO). He is widely recognized for building and scaling multiple billion-dollar global brands, bringing unmatched commercial and operational expertise to the organization.

India — home to over 1.4 billion people, a deep-rooted martial tradition, and rapidly expanding sports viewership — now becomes a cornerstone of the global growth strategy for BKFC, BKFL, and WLF.

Rajesh Banga, Sunil Mathew, and Siraj Gill stated, “India is not just a market — it is the future of global combat sports. Together with BKFC, BKFL, and WLF, we are building an ecosystem that will develop Indian fighters, create global stars, and deliver world-class fight entertainment to millions of fans.”

Mr. Parag Sanghvi, Board Member, added, “This is where world-class storytelling meets raw, uncompromising sport. With WLF, BKFC, and Conor McGregor, we are not just launching a league — we are architecting a global sports IP from India that will command attention, talent, and fandom worldwide.”

David Feldman, Founder & President of BKFC, said, “India has been on our roadmap for a long time. The scale, the energy, the culture — there is no place like it. With the leadership team we have assembled and our partnership with WLF, we are bringing the purest form of combat sports to a nation ready for it.”

Conor McGregor, Global Partner, BKFC, said, “India has warriors in its DNA. What we’re building with BKFC and BKFL in India will be something the world has never seen before. This is not just expansion — this is a revolution.”

Tiger Shroff said, “Honoured to stand alongside Conor McGregor as we create something truly historic for Indian sport. This is more than a fight — it’s a global movement, and history is being written. Just like cinema, sport is a celebration of talent and skill, and Parag (Sanghvi) and I are committed to turning this into a landmark moment for India.”

The first official BKFC & BKFL team-based events are scheduled for 2026, with venue and fight card announcements coming soon.

This is not just a launch. This is the birth of India’s combat sports era.