Bharat Kandare says that he is going to take a break from his fighting career

16 July 2021

The first-Indian-born UFC Fighter Bharat Kandare has noted in an exclusive statement that he will be taking a break from fighting to look after his mother.

Bharat, who became the first-Indian born fighter to compete in the UFC back in November 2017, said that the health condition of his mother is not well and that he wants to be with her for the foreseeable future.

“I’m currently alone with my mother and she is not keeping well. I cannot leave her and go to fight. Hence, I will be taking a break from fighting for three or four years. And If I feel that I can get back into the cage after that long break, I might get back,” he noted in an exclusive statement.

After making his UFC debut at UFC Shanghai back in November 2017, Bharat had been going through a rough phase in his MMA career. He was suspended by USADA for two years in 2018 for a substance that got into his system as part of the injury medication given to him by a local doctor who was not aware of the banned substance list.

Bharat then became eligible to make his return to the Octagon from November 2020 after completing the two years of suspension.

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He was looking to get back into the cage after the gap but financial issues proved to be another major hurdle for him and as we earlier reported, he had even set up a crowdfunding campaign to return to the United States for training.

He had earlier left his small-government job to pursue a career in MMA and is now in his home with his mother who is struggling with diseases.

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