Indian MMA

Elite Contender Series Results: India vs Nepal MMA clash ends in no contest

By LockerRoom Team March 26, 2026

The Elite Contender Series (ECS) delivered an exciting night of amateur MMA action in Bangalore, showcasing rising talent from across India and Nepal in a card filled with competitive bouts and standout performances.

Hosted at Relentless Strength, the event featured exciting fights, highlighting the growing depth of amateur MMA in South Asia. 

In the co-main event, AKS Pandey secured a hard-fought decision victory over Ankit Yadav in a competitive bantamweight contest, capping off an impressive performance.

The highly anticipated main event between Balaji Kishan and Samar Aryal unfortunately ended in a No Contest after an unintentional illegal knee, bringing an abrupt end to what was expected to be a thrilling India vs Nepal showdown.

Elsewhere on the main card, Nawaraj Parajuli delivered one of the most emphatic finishes of the night with a TKO victory over Devgun Marandi, while Karthik JP impressed with a submission win over Manu Ben. The bout between Navneet Brijwal and Gokul Khadka ended in a draw after a closely contested fight.

The prelims also saw several strong performances, including multiple first-round finishes and dominant decisions, underlining the depth of talent on display.

Despite the unfortunate conclusion to the main event, the Elite Contender Series successfully delivered a night full of action and continues to build momentum as a key platform for amateur MMA in the region.

ECS 1 Results

Main Card

  • Mohd Shafi def. Indres Uniyal via Decision
  • Karthik JP def. Manu Ben via Submission
  • Navneet Brijwal vs Gokul Khadka – Draw
  • Ady Giri def. Thupten Dorji via Decision
  • Nawaraj Parajuli def. Devgun Marandi via TKO
  • Roshan def. Abhishek Saini via Decision

Co-Main Event

  • AKS Pandey def. Ankit Yadav via Decision

Main Event

  • Balaji Kishan vs Samar Aryal – No Contest (Illegal Knee)

Prelims

  • Roshan Mansor def. Abhishek MR via First Round Submission
  • Shashank MP def. Swastik via Third Round TKO
  • Yashu def. Ayra via Decision
  • Anirudh def. Sachin via Third Round TKO
  • Pankaj Bathkora def. Arvinthraj AP via First Round TKO
  • Tharun def. Jay Ajay via First Round TKO
  • Durai Murugan def. Aghaka Sumi via Decision
  • Rishab def. Aditya Baid via Decision
  • Pushpa def. Tukia via Decision
  • Naresh def. Lizdon DMello via Split Decision