“There can be no lion without the lioness” - Gurdarshan Mangat credits wife for his blossoming martial arts career

Gurdarshan Mangat is enjoying a fruitful martial arts career, but it would not have been possible without his wife, Chandni, pushing and supporting him.

Mangat met his wife in 2013. They started off as friends before eventually developing a relationship and getting married. However, during the early days of their relationship, Mangat was a struggling fighter who found it difficult to make ends meet.

Guardarshan Mangat told ONE:

“I had gone through some injuries, so I wasn’t able to train. I couldn’t get a job, and she supported me. She stood by me, she believed in me, and she held me up at times when I didn’t believe in myself.”

The 35-year-old has since gone on to collect a 16-3 record, including a 3-1 slate in ONE Championship. Through it all, 'Saint Lion' credits his wife for pushing him to pursue his true passion in martial arts.

“I believe that there can be no lion without the lioness because a lioness is the one who stands beside the lion and gives him strength," he said. "That’s what Chandni has been to me. She has been the compassionate one who told me how big this can all become, and she has helped me out when I failed. Without her, I don’t know what kind of path I would have gone down.”

---

Gurdarshan Mangat faces Yodkaikaew Fairtex at ONE 158

Gurdarshan Mangat will make his return to the circle on Friday, June 3, when he faces Yodkaikaew Fairtex on the lead card of ONE 158.

Yodkaikaew is a former Max Stadium Muay Thai who amassed 85 victories in Muay Thai before incorporating Brazilian jiu-jitsu into his game and transitioning to mixed martial arts. He burst into the ONE Championship scene in 2020 with three straight victories, knocking out two of his opponents in the process.

Meanwhile, Gurdarshan is a well-rounded fighter who can defeat opponents in a variety of ways. 10 of his 16 victories were split evenly between submissions and TKOs. He is looking to string together a new win streak in the circle as he climbs the stacked flyweight division.