We Believed India Could Produce World-Class MMA Talent’: Krishna Shroff on MFN’s Evolution

Six years ago, Krishna Shroff co-founded Matrix Fight Night (MFN) in 2019 along with her mother Ayesha Shroff and brother Tiger Shroff, at a time when mixed martial arts (MMA) had limited awareness in India. Since then, the promotion has held 17 events and has seen gradual growth in participation and viewership. Some fighters associated with the platform, including Anshul Jubli and Puja Tomar, have gone on to compete internationally.

As MFN 18 is set to take place on May 2, Krishna Shroff spoke about how the platform has evolved over the years. “MFN 18 feels significant to me, not just because of the card which is genuinely one of our strongest, but because of what this edition represents in the larger story we are trying to tell. Six years ago, we were explaining what MMA was to people. Today, we have fighters who came through our system competing on the world stage, and hundreds of athletes turning up every season just for a chance at an MFN contract.”

The event will be held at the Shaheed Vijay Singh Pathik Sports Complex in Greater Noida and will feature 13 bouts, including two title fights. Sonam Zomba will face Brazil’s Maristela Alves in the main event for the strawweight title, while Digamber Singh Rawat will take on Angga in the lightweight title fight.

The remaining fights are scheduled across different weight categories such as featherweight, bantamweight, flyweight, light heavyweight, welterweight, and strawweight. The event will begin at 6 PM and will be available for viewers in India on JioHotstar, while international audiences can watch it on the promotion’s YouTube channel.

Krishna Shroff also highlighted the effort behind building the platform. “That shift didn't happen by accident. It happened because we stayed committed to the infrastructure, to the fighters, and to the belief that India could produce world-class MMA talent. MFN 18 is us continuing to put our money where our mouth is.”