After a gritty win in Shanghai, the 33-year-old jiu-jitsu ace eyes the UFC with resilience, purpose, and a revolutionary’s resolve
Mixed martial arts demands pain, patience, and purpose — and Mansher Khera carries all three with him every day, both in his routine and on his skin. The Indian-origin fighter based in New Jersey bears a powerful tattoo of Indian revolutionary Bhagat Singh across his chest — not just for patriotism, but as a daily dose of discipline, reported hindustantimes.com.
“That was my first tattoo,” Khera shared. “He died for what he believed in. Every time I look at it, it reminds me to stay sharp, stay focused. No excuses.” That mindset helped him secure a unanimous win against Aziz Khaydarov in May during the Road to UFC in Shanghai — a breakthrough at the age of 33, an age many deem too late to start chasing octagon glory.
For Indian-origin MMA fighter Mansher Khera, the drive to succeed comes from discipline, his parents’ struggles — and a tattoo of Bhagat Singh etched across his chest
Born to Indian immigrants Sukhdev Singh and Abhilash Khera, who moved to the US with “zero dollars,” Mansher credits his parents’ grit and sacrifice as the foundation of his own resilience. Though raised in the US, Khera spent his formative years in a strict Indian boarding school — a place that forged his mental toughness. “Six-day weeks, 7 a.m. wake-ups — it made me tough. That edge still drives me in the gym,” he recalled.
Returning to New York in his teens, he faced racial bias and isolation. “I was an outcast. I got picked on. Martial arts saved me. On the mat, no one cares about your colour — only if you show up and work hard,” he said.
Khera trains out of CULTR Fight Club in Jersey City under Rich Ebenhan and sharpens his jiu-jitsu at Unity BJJ in NYC — where he was awarded his black belt by grappling legend Marcelo Garcia. “I took my time with MMA. First jiu-jitsu from 2009, then kickboxing in 2017, and MMA in 2021. Now, I’m ready,” he said.
With UFC aspirations locked in, Khera is already eyeing future opponents — including Australia’s Quilan Salkild, who beat Indian UFC fighter Anshul Jubli. “I want that fight. I want that win on my record,” he stated.
But more than victories, Khera is chasing legacy. “I want to be remembered as someone who didn’t quit, who showed heart and did it his way. I want kids coming up to know that you don’t need to sell out to succeed.”
Now, with Bhagat Singh inked on his body and discipline in his bones, Khera is chasing his moment in the UFC cage — one clean jab, takedown, and submission at a time.
