Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC) and Bare Knuckle Fight League (BKFL) have officially announced their historic entry into India, unlocking one of the largest and most passionate combat sports markets in the world.
Tiger Shroff and Conor McGregor to shape BKFC’s India expansion with launch of Bare-Knuckle League
This historic expansion is being led by the 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 invited Mr. Parag Shanghvi, leading filmmaker and Indian cinema superstar and martial artist Tiger Shroff to join the board and help shape BKFC’s growth into a global phenomenon. India is the origin of this. The BKFC is already the fastest growing combat sports organization in the world.
The World League of Fighters (WLF) enters India with formidable global credentials, having successfully organized the biggest and most exciting BKFC event in the Middle East last year – a sell-out spectacle in Dubai that sent fans into a frenzy and set new standards for live combat entertainment in the region.
For the first time in the history of combat sports, India will host a team-based bare-knuckle league format, transforming the bouts into a high-stakes global franchise competition – making the sport faster, furious and more thrilling for fans around the world.
The inaugural teams included the Crushers, Punishers, Warriors, Phantoms, Gladiators and Infernos.
To further strengthen the leadership of the platform, Mr. Rahul Saxena has been appointed as Chief Executive Officer (CEO). He is widely recognized for building and expanding multi-billion dollar global brands, bringing unmatched commercial and operational expertise to the organization.
India – home to more than 1.4 billion people, a deeply rooted martial tradition and rapidly growing sports viewership – has now become a cornerstone of the global growth strategy for BKFC, BKFL and WLF.
Rajesh Banga, Sunil Mathew and Siraj Gill said: “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, said: “This is where world-class storytelling meets raw, uncompromising sport. With WLF, BKFC and Conor McGregor, we are not just starting a league – we are creating a global sports IP from India that will capture the attention, talent and fans around the world.”
David Feldman, founder and chairman of BKFC, said: “India has been on our roadmap for a long time. The scale, the energy, the culture – there’s no place like it. With the leadership team we have assembled and our partnership with the WLF, we are ready to bring the purest form of combat sports to the country.”
Conor McGregor, Global Partner, BKFC, said, “Warriors are in India’s DNA. What we are building in India with BKFC and BKFL will be something the world has never seen before. It’s not just an expansion – it’s a revolution.”
Indian cinema superstar and martial artist Tiger Shroff said: “I’m honored 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. Like cinema, sport is a celebration of talent and skill, and Parag (Sanghvi) and I are committed to turning this into a historic moment for India.”
The first official BKFC and BKFL team-based event is 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.
