DIMAPUR — A pre-fight press conference and face-offs ahead of the highly anticipated Tribe Fighting Championship (TFC) took place on November 1, setting the stage for the main event scheduled for November 2 at the Indoor Badminton Stadium in DC Court, Dimapur.
Following a question and answer session, all athletes faced off with their opponents ahead of Saturday’s event. Neitso Angami and Jawed Amhadi had an intense face-off ahead of their headline clash.
During the press conference, the co-founder of TFC, Khriemelie Metha, announced that the first TFC event will opened with an undercard match featuring a submission grappling bout between Thanmi and Mandeep in the 58 kg category, followed by two boxing exhibition bouts in the 68 kg category, where Abemo will face Vanlalhriatrenga, and Amrith will go head-to-head with Goroba.
The next bout in the event will feature an amateur kickboxing match in the 56.7 kg category between Ankan from Guwahati and Donbok from Meghalaya, which will be followed by a professional kickboxing match in the 52 kg category, where Vipu from Nagaland will take on Nawaz from Manipur.
To make the event more engaging and inclusive for Nagaland’s combat sports scene, a taekwondo exhibition bout has been included for the first time inside the MMA cage, featuring D Khuwoto and Ram Bahadur.
The main card features five professional mixed martial arts bouts, showcasing top athletes from across the nation and abroad.
The first bout on the main card will feature Mairidin Newmai from Nagaland competing against Carrmore Rumnong from Meghalaya in the 62 kg catchweight category, followed by a bantamweight bout in the 61.2 kg category, where Michael Rovei from Manipur will face Jonibor Tron from Meghalaya.
One of the exciting fights is the bout between Arsenba Ozukum and Ebiangmi Langstang from Meghalaya in the 56.7 kg flyweight category, as both athletes will be aiming for a comeback after suffering respective losses in their previous match.
In the co-main event, Aboto Ayemi from Nagaland, an undefeated professional fighter with a 2-0 record, will go up against Nikunj Sharma from Punjab in the 56.7 kg flyweight category.
The main event of the night will be Neitso Angami from Nagaland facing Jawed Amhadi from Afghanistan in the 68 kg catchweight category.
Metha informed that the main objective of organising the event is to showcase combat martial arts at its highest level in Nagaland. He added that extensive efforts have gone into ensuring the event's success, with a focus on delivering a professional-level production.
Jawed Amhadi declared that he was not intimidated by Neitso Angami's claim to the media that he would knock him out. In response, Amhadi stated that he is not an easy opponent but wished Angami good luck in the cage.
Apart from the main event, a bout to watch is the match between Aboto Ayemi from Nagaland, who has a professional record of two wins and no losses, with all victories coming by way of TKO.
His opponent Nikunj Sharma is entering the fight after suffering a loss in his last bout at the Veswa Fight Championship in April 2024, and this time around he is determined to seek vengeance and secure a victory.
Another fighter to watch is Mairidin Newmai, who is regarded as one of the best talents to emerge from the Indian MMA circuit; known for his intelligence and technical skills, he promises to deliver an exciting performance. During the press conference and face-off, all the fighters expressed their determination to knock out their opponents inside the cage on Saturday.
The different ticket categories available are elevated general gallery (INR 699), premium gallery (INR 1,500), floor seats (INR 2,000), and cage side (INR 6,000).
The gates will open at 5 pm, and tickets will also be available at the venue on the day of the event.