From Boxing at 16 to International KFL Wins: Yugeen Sharma’s Fighting Journey

KATHMANDU, NEPAL, SEPTEMBER 13, 2026

Yugeen Sharma Defeats India’s Khushi Singh

Nepali combat sports athlete Yugeen Sharma defeated India’s Khushi Singh at Karma Fight League 9 on September 12, 2026, at the Sri Lanka Exhibition and Convention Centre in Colombo, Sri Lanka, continuing her rise on the international K-1 stage. Sharma represented Nepal in the strawweight bout, which was listed as Bout 8 on KFL’s official nine-fight card, and the victory added another important result to her developing international career.

Her Fighting Journey Started at 16

Sharma’s journey in combat sports began several years before her latest international victory. Sharma said she started boxing when she was 16 years old before becoming interested in mixed martial arts because it allowed her to develop skills beyond a single fighting discipline.

At the time of that interview, Sharma was 20 years old and training at Rage Fitness in Naxal, where she worked with her coach while developing as a professional combat-sports athlete. Her training goes beyond striking: she said an MMA fighter needs to learn disciplines including boxing, wrestling, and jiu-jitsu.

National Boxing Gold Added to Her Record

Sharma has also proved herself inside the boxing ring. At the 2026 All Nepal Open U-22 Boxing Championship in Hetauda, official competition results listed her as the gold medallist in the women’s 60kg lightweight category, representing RAGE.

She finished ahead of silver medallist Nishika Gurung, while Tanuja Nepali and Gresta Shrestha received bronze medals. The national title showed that Sharma’s competitive experience is not limited to kickboxing or MMA training.

Her KFL Story Includes Both Defeat and Comeback

Sharma’s progress becomes clearer when looking at her previous Karma Fight League appearances.

At KFL 5 on July 25, 2025, Sharma faced Sri Lanka’s Nimesha Kumari in Colombo. KFL’s official results show that Kumari defeated Sharma by unanimous decision in their strawweight contest.

Sharma did not stop there. She returned to Sri Lanka and later faced Shaini Chamodya at KFL 7 in January 2026. Nepali reporting from the event said Sharma defeated Chamodya after her originally scheduled opponent, Pakistan’s Bushra Akhtar, withdrew because of injury. Sharma and fellow Nepali fighter Koshish Rajbhandari were both representing Rage Fight Team.

Her latest victory over Khushi Singh at KFL 9 therefore represents another step in a journey that has included defeats, returns and international victories rather than an overnight rise.

Her Bigger Dream Is the UFC

Sharma has already set her sights beyond regional competition. In her 2026 interview, she said her ultimate goal is to compete in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and become the first Nepali fighter to reach that stage.

She has also spoken about the difficulties faced by combat-sports athletes in Nepal, particularly in newer disciplines such as MMA and Muay Thai. Sharma pointed to limited public awareness, government support, and sponsorship opportunities as challenges for athletes trying to build professional careers.

What Is Karma Fight League?

Karma Fight League (KFL) is a Sri Lanka-based professional combat-sports promotion founded in 2023. KFL describes itself as South Asia’s biggest K-1 fight league and says it was created to professionalise combat sports in the region while giving fighters a pathway to compete regularly and build professional careers.

The league began with KFL 001 in Colombo on August 26, 2023. Its official event history shows continued events through KFL 2, KFL 3 and KFL 4 in 2024, followed by KFL 5 and KFL 6 in 2025 and KFL 7, KFL 8 and KFL 9 in 2026.

Who Created KFL?

Reporting on the promotion identifies Ilham Hossen, Kaushika Withanage and Dayan Samarasekara as KFL’s three co-founders. In January 2026, venture capitalist Raveen Wickramasinghe made a strategic investment in the promotion and was appointed its chairman as KFL looked to expand its long-term operations.

KFL says its purpose goes beyond organising individual fight nights. The promotion wants to provide fighters with regular competition, help athletes build records and create a pathway toward full-time professional careers in combat sports.

KFL Is Bringing South Asian Fighters Together

KFL says athletes from Sri Lanka, India, Nepal, Thailand, Iran, Germany, Malaysia, the United States and Georgia have been represented in its competition network. Its official website lists more than 65 athletes and more than 100 fights as part of its growth since 2023.

Nepal has already developed a visible presence in the league. At KFL 5 in July 2025, five Nepali athletes competed, including Sharma, with three Nepali fighters recording victories. Sharma competed alongside Rage Fight Team members Arjun KC, Santosh Khatri and Koshish Shrestha, while Sushmita Thapa also represented Nepal.

Why Yugeen’s Latest Win Matters

For Sharma, defeating Khushi Singh is more than one result on a fight card. It adds to a career being built across boxing, kickboxing and MMA training, while giving her further international competition experience.

From beginning boxing at 16, experiencing defeat at KFL 5, returning to win in Sri Lanka, becoming Nepal’s U-22 women’s 60kg boxing champion, and now defeating an Indian opponent at KFL 9, Sharma’s journey shows steady progress.

At just 20, the bigger goal she has publicly set for herself remains far ahead: reaching the UFC. But every international fight gives the young Nepali athlete another opportunity to gain the experience needed to move closer to that dream.