Meet Mansher Khera, Indian-origin MMA fighter with an undefeated record of 9-0, fell in love with Jiu-Jitsu, he is now set for...

Mixed martial arts are full throttle fighting that can be very challenging. It takes strict discipline and hunger to achieve more to survive in this tactical and strategic sport. However, some people are born with the energy to defeat others. Such is the Indian origin US martial arts player Mansher Khera who is popularly known as the ‘Punjabi Prince’ and is now slowly becoming a global name. He has been brought up in both India and the US and with a disciplined upbringing split between India and the US, Mansher merges unyielding resilience with steadfast commitment in the ring. Driven by the legacy of the legendary fighters and by a passion for martial arts, he is securing his name in history as one of the pioneers taking India on the world stage of MMA. 

Manshera draws his motivation from the iconic revolutionary Bhagat Singh, who scarified his life only at the age of 23 for India to snatch its independence, whose face is etched on the sides of his ripped torso. Khera will compete in a significant bout at Road to UFC: Shanghai at the UFC Performance Institute in Shanghai, China this year. His opponent Aziz Khaydarov is an experienced MMA fighter with an excellent record of 21 wins and only 6 defeats. Meanwhile, Mansher also has an undefeated record of 9-0, making him a perfect match against Khaydarov in the lightweight division.   

Who is Mansher Khera? 

Mansher went to a boarding school in India which made him disciplined which he carried over in martial arts. His experience in India and the US, especially the former, made him what he is today as he developed a toughness in the US where he faced people who looked at him as an outsider and considered him a misfit. According to him, he always used to get into “unwanted” fights and being cautious in a foreign country made him resilient. He used to push himself harder even when he did not feel like it.  

In an interview, Khera said, “I’ve always wanted to be an MMA fighter. That was my goal from the start. When I first began training in Jiu-Jitsu, my coach saw potential in me and encouraged me to pursue it seriously. I really fell in love with Jiu-Jitsu and focused on it, but deep down, I always had this itch — this desire to fight. What really was a game changer for me was when I met Conor McGregor back in 2016. I got to spend a little time with him — nothing crazy, just a day or two. But honestly, that experience pushed me even more. After that, I was like, “I want to do this.””