India, Sept. 19 -- A knee injury, systemic hurdles, and difficult life circumstances had distanced Suchika Tariyal from judo. It was her solace, a sport that had shaped much of her life. At the time, she had made peace with walking away from sports, entirely.

But two people from India's mixed martial arts community - UFC fighter Pooja Tomar and former ONE championship fighter Himanshu Kaushik - pulled her right back.

"I had given up. I thought, 'Alright, it's fine, it's done, this is enough," Tariyal told HT. "Then Pooja and Himanshu forced me to try it once, saying that my skills were good and I would pick it up quickly. These two are the ones who brought me into MMA."

At 36, Tariyal will give glory another shot. In fact, she will be ...