\u201cI put in the work silently, and over time, my parents began to see how serious I was. Eventually, they supported me wholeheartedly,\u201d says Sagdeo about the start of his career.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
His family didn\u2019t have any connection to the sport. While his father worked in the private sector, his mother was a homemaker. Having spent his childhood in Pinjore, located on the Haryana-Himachal border, he got introduced to martial arts in school through taekwondo and karate classes, which were in extracurricular activities.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
After finishing his fifth grade, the family moved to Chennai, where he developed a keen interest in karate. At the age of 12, his participation in a point-fighting karate competition, where he was disqualified for knocking out his opponent, made him realise that he was cut out for the world of full-contact combat sports.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Sagdeo\u2019s self-belief didn\u2019t wane even when he succumbed to an Iranian opponent in his first international fight on his amateur MMA debut. Nor was he shaken when he tore his meniscus, MCL, and ACL. \u201cI was back in the gym in two days, just sat on the stool and practised punching. Three months later, I competed in a grappling tournament and fought an MMA fight a month after that,\u201d he recalls.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
His most recent victories were at CFN 34, where he faced a strong US opponent and came out on top, and at the Bali Open grappling tournament, where he finished first.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Currently, he\u2019s training at Bali MMA under Aleksei Zhiganov, who\u2019s renowned for helping both professional and amateur fighters hone their skills.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
His most recent victories were at CFN 34, where he faced a strong US opponent and came out on top, and at the Bali Open grappling tournament, where he finished first.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cThe circle of fighters I train with is strong and full of like-minded individuals, all pushing for greatness. I know that with the right guidance and consistent hard work, there\u2019s no limit to what we can achieve. The journey is just beginning. I\u2019m not chasing fame; I\u2019m chasing greatness,\u201d he concluded.<\/p>\r\n\r\n