Heartbreak for Indian MMA as Chungreng Koren falls short against Ryo Tajima in Road to UFC semifinals

Heartbreaks for Indian MMA continue on the global stage as Chungreng Koren's Road to UFC Season 5 campaign came to an end in the semifinals. Koren was among the few who were considered the best bet for Indian MMA to perform well on the world stage. But his dream was shattered after he suffered a loss to Ryo Tajima.

Chungreng Koren lost to Ryo Tajima in the semifinals 

Koren took on Tajima in the bantamweight semifinals of RTU season 5 at the Shanghai Indoor Stadium in Shanghai on August 28. ‘The Indian Rhino’ entered the bout with high confidence, as he submitted his previous opponent, Ryuho Miyaguchi, via a rear-naked choke in the second round of RTU season 5. He took that fight on short notice, with little time to prepare for the opponent. 

However, Koren had a full camp for Tajima and also made weight, unlike in the opening round. As the bell rang, the Indian fighter started with leg kicks and pressed the Japanese against the cage. He secured a takedown, but the 27-year-old managed to return to his feet. He even took the Manipur-born back and landed several strikes, but the Indian reversed the position and regained control. 

The second round followed a similar pattern. Tajima pressed against the cage, with Koren controlling him, but the Japanese remained active and continued to land short punches throughout, and even managed to land a great right hand on the Indian.

Koren continued applying pressure in the third round and again drove Tajima toward the cage before securing another takedown. He maintained control for long stretches and finished the fight with more than eight minutes of control time.

However, Tajima remained active whenever he had an opportunity, landing short punches and knees, and accumulating enough overall striking to sway the judges. After 15 minutes, the fight went to the judges' scorecards, which read 30-27, 29-28, and 29-28, all in favor of Tajima.

Indian MMA still has reason for optimism

The defeats ended Koren’s dream of advancing to the final and securing a UFC contract. A few weeks ago, another Indian fighter, Mridul Saikia, failed to capitalize on the opportunity and lost in just 45 seconds via TKO to Bilal Hassan at Dana White Contender Series (DWCS) 87. 

That said, Indian combat athletes have generated significant performances outside the UFC, and one such fighter is Owais Yakoob. He is riding a six-fight win streak, having finished his last four opponents. After his impressive win over Delyan Georgiev at Brave CF 107, he has been demanding a title shot.