ONE Championship: Zeba Bano excited that more Indians embrace Mixed Martial Arts

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Bengaluru, July 12: Looking at it on the micro level, Zeba Bano might have lost her ONE Championship debut to Nat "Wondergirl" Jaroonsak at ONE 157: Petchmorakot vs. Vienot last May.

But in the bigger scheme of things, the Indian competitor scored a more significant victory by helping her compatriots become more receptive toward mixed martial arts.

"The place where I stay, people don't usually like sports because it includes wearing shorts and working out with guys," Bano said. "Lots of people's mindsets have changed now after seeing me."

Despite the defeat, she was given a hero's welcome upon returning to her hometown. Among those who joined the festive crowd were the deputy superintendent of police and legislative assembly members.

Though her match against Wondergirl lasted for only one round, its ripple effect made her a winner in the eyes of the people she represents.

"I had never imagined that there would be a moment like this in my life. I had only seen it for others. I always wonder if I would ever have a moment like this," she said.

"They took me on an open-top vehicle around my village, Amethi. It went on for four to five days, and there were many people. People were happy that someone, especially a Muslim girl from our district, made it to a huge platform like ONE. It is a big deal for everyone."

With more people embracing MMA, parents now want Bano to train their children. The sport may be challenging in nature, and outcomes do not always go her way. But there's nothing to frown about because she will pave the way for the next wave of Indian MMA fighters. However, she believes getting help from the government will help grow the discipline faster.

"They want to send their young daughters to train. I was in our village for eight days, and almost every day, someone would say, 'We too want to teach martial arts to our kids. Please give us some tips,'" the 23-year-old competitor said.

"I could see that people are excited about MMA. The future belongs to MMA. I want to appeal to our government to promote MMA too, so that people who don't know about the sport can learn about it."

While developing the next breed of Indian fighters will take time, Bano will also have an opportunity to bounce back when she faces Lea Bivins on the lead card of ONE 159: De Ridder vs. Bigdash on July 22. This time, she hopes for a victory to make her fellow citizens even prouder.

Source: Media Release