Shillong, Aug 24: Meghalaya’s Darren Cooper Kharshandy produced a dominant performance at ATURTO 4.2 in Arunachal Pradesh, defeating Nepal’s Rahul Thakuri by technical knockout in the first round of their bantamweight bout.
Representing India and Happy Red Rooster MMA, Shillong, Kharshandy finished the fight in 3 minutes and 20 seconds, securing victory in what was the only international bout on the card.
ATURTO 4.2 was held at the Artisan-cum-Handicrafts Exhibition Centre in Chimpu, Itanagar, on August 22. The event was the 11th show staged by Arunachal Pradesh-based MMA promotion ATURTO and was headlined by the Flyweight Grand Prix semi-finals.
The card featured a mix of fighters from across the Northeast and beyond, with the main event seeing Lalngaihawma take on Diyo Rimo and Lian Nun face Limasunep Imchen in the co-main event. The winners of the two Flyweight Grand Prix semi-finals booked places in the tournament final scheduled for December.
Kharshandy’s bout against Thakuri was one of the key international match-ups on the card. The Nepalese fighter was making his professional debut at ATURTO, while Kharshandy entered the contest with professional cage experience. For Kharshandy, the victory was also his second appearance at ATURTO.
Speaking after the fight to Meghalaya Sports, Kharshandy said the bout presented a significant challenge because of the quality of his opponent and the difficulty of making weight.
“My opponent was a Nepali fighter who represents one of the best gyms in Nepal, and this gym has produced a UFC fighter.”
He also highlighted the difficulty of the weight cut ahead of the bantamweight contest. “The challenge of this fight was that the weight cut was hard.”
Kharshandy said his professional career has included several setbacks, but he has used those experiences to improve rather than allowing them to define him as a fighter.
“I have had a lot of setbacks in my professional career, but I didn’t let those setbacks define me as a fighter. I learned from those setbacks and came back much stronger and more skilled.”
The victory could now open the door to bigger opportunities for the Meghalaya fighter. “With a win like this, this will help me get more opportunities to fight in bigger organisations,” he said.
ATURTO has emerged as a prominent regional MMA promotion, with its events providing fighters from the Northeast and neighbouring countries a platform to compete professionally. The promotion’s current Flyweight Grand Prix is part of an effort to create a structured pathway for fighters in the region, with the final scheduled for December.
