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The "Kerala Krusher" Rahul K Raju is arguably one of the best Indian MMA fighters of all time. Raju who hails from the southern Indian state of Kerala trains at the prestigious "Juggernaut" Fight Club in Singapore. One of the top prospects in ONE Championship, the Indian fighter is a fan favorite in the promotion.
Raju is super motivated and possesses extreme willpower. The "Kerala Krusher" recently fought the BJJ Phenom Garry Tonon in a closely contested lightweight bout. The top Indian prospect showed phenomenal resilience against the jiu-jitsu wizard and won the hearts of millions of spectators watching the event worldwide.
He scrambled out of multiple submission attempts by the BJJ wizard including two heel hooks and a triangle. The submission specialist Tonon tried throwing a variety of strikes and a few high kicks before resorting to the ground game, where his strength lay.
Sportskeeda got an opportunity to catch up with the "Kerala Krusher" and we spoke about his extraordinary display of Jiu-Jitsu in the last fight against Tonon, and many more things. Here are the excerpts.
First off, congratulations on becoming a Purple belt in BJJ. How long did it take for you to become so good?
Thanks a lot. I was never a pure BJJ guy. I trained in BJJ just to use it in MMA. So my game was mostly to stay on top and get the submission from there. After four years of training, I started coaching jiu-jitsu in Juggernaut Fight Club, Singapore. It was only then I started focusing on the detailed techniques and being comfortable everywhere.
You shook the world with your leg lock defense against Garry Tonon. How did you manage to successfully stalemate the "Lion Killer's" advanced Jiu-Jitsu?
I trained purely for leglocks almost two months ahead of the fight. During the camp, I was focussing on each detail and that helped me get a better idea of how to escape from every possible position. Well, that fight gave me confidence in my overall game. It was the worst matchup that I could get. I am sure in my upcoming fights the world will see the best version of Rahul.
What's your take on the growing BJJ scene in India? Are we prepared to take on international challenges yet?
India's BJJ scene is getting better. We have some high-level grapplers now, even though the numbers are very less. Slowly but surely we will come to the top of the global MMA scene.
The former UFC champ Eddie Alvarez has signed with ONE. How much of an impact will his presence have on the roster for the other fighters?
Yes, Eddie Alvarez has signed with One FC. I am very excited to see him in the cage as well. Who knows, after a few fights I may gain enough wins and popularity to face him inside the cage.
Any updates on your next MMA fight at ONE? When can we see you hitting the BJJ mat again?
Still no news about my next fight. But I am training hard every day and ready to take any fight offered to me. In the meantime, I am remaining active by competing at ADCC Singapore in the pro division. The tournament is on November 10. Let's see how it goes.
Thanks for these questions. It's my word, I will put India on the world MMA map.
We at Sportskeeda wish Rahul Raju the best of luck in his quest to put India on the global MMA map.
Who do you think the Kerala Krusher should face next? Have your say in the comments.
