Sobhraj Nankani
Grand Unified World Champion | England Head Coach for Ringsports
Founder, SN Combat Academy | Relentless Magazine Sports Awards Ambassador
Interview by James W. Phillips
“What is a champion without character? Absolutely nothing.”
For more than two decades, Sobhraj Nankani has lived and breathed combat sports.
His journey has taken him from a childhood fascination with martial-arts films to becoming a Grand Unified World Champion, England Head Coach for Ringsports and the founder of his own distinctive martial-arts system and academy.
Yet speak to Nankani for any length of time and it quickly becomes apparent that titles are only one part of his story.
Behind the medals is a philosophy built around faith, discipline, resilience, respect and service to others. Through SN Combat Academy and his community work, Nankani has sought not simply to create successful fighters, but to help develop stronger people.
In 2026, that contribution was recognised with the Relentless Magazine Combat Sports Pioneer Award, while Nankani also joined the Relentless Magazine Sports Awards as an ambassador.
Relentless Magazine sat down with him to discover where his extraordinary journey began, what it really took to become a world champion and why he believes character will always matter more than the trophy.
Combat sports and martial arts captured my imagination from a very young age. My grandfather came from a family that owned cinemas, and my mother has told me that, from around the age of one, my father would take me with him when he went to check on things. I grew up around that world.
By the time I was about six, I vividly remember finding my way towards the film rooms whenever I could. I would watch the reels turning on the projectors and ask the staff if I could see parts of the films before they reached the cinema screen.
I was never too interested in the storyline at that age. I wanted to see the fight scenes.
The staff were kind to me and, because I was a respectful young boy who was completely fascinated by martial arts, they would sometimes affectionately call me “Master Sobhraj.” Eventually, they gave me access to a small room where I could sit and watch films for hours.
Then I saw Bruce Lee on screen, and everything changed.
Until then, martial-arts films had been exciting, but Bruce Lee made it feel real. I was blown away by his presence, speed, discipline and the way he carried himself. From that point, martial arts stopped being something I simply watched. It became something I wanted to understand for myself.
The point at which I realised it would become far more than a sport came later.
After years of training in Muay Thai, I suffered a serious injury that stopped me from training and competing in the way I wanted. At the same time, I was running a busy commercial business and no longer had the time to travel from South London to the gym in East London where I had trained.
But I could not let go of what training and sparring gave me: the discipline, release, focus and feeling of belonging.
I initially opened a combat-sports gym to keep myself in shape and to give the people coming through the door an opportunity to train and develop. What began as something alongside my business gradually became much bigger.
Even though my commercial business could have made more money, my passion for combat sports took precedence.
I realised that my purpose was not only to train myself, but to build something that could develop others, create opportunities and leave a lasting positive mark.
That eventually became SN Combat.
My journey to becoming a Grand Unified World Champion actually began with a serious setback.
After a serious elbow dislocation, a doctor told me I would no longer be able to compete and that full rehabilitation could take a very long time. At that stage, I did not complete the rehabilitation process all the way through. I accepted that my competitive career might be over and focused on getting on with my life.
But I put it in God’s hands. I told myself that, if God permitted it and wanted me to compete again, I would.
I have never felt drawn to compete simply for the sake of competing or for the limelight. Everything I do has to have purpose.
Around ten years later, I had already produced a number of champions in combat sports, including several UK number ones. One day, lying on my couch, I felt this burning desire: before I leave this earth, I needed to show the world — and myself — what I was truly capable of.
Deep down, I had always believed I had the mindset of a world champion.
In 2014, despite being a veteran returning after a decade away from competition and living with a long-term injury, I decided to enter the Unified Championships in Italy.
The physical demands were obvious. My elbow was still vulnerable and entering an MMA tournament carried real risk. An armbar applied to that arm could have caused serious further damage.
Yet I didn’t choose the easiest route.
I entered the stand-up divisions, but I also stepped into the octagon and competed in MMA.
That decision was deliberate. I wanted to demonstrate that the SN Combat system and philosophy worked across different competitive environments. I wanted my students to understand that what I teach is not copied from a book or borrowed from a qualification. The mindset, preparation, technical approach and standards I pass on are things I have lived, tested and developed myself.
I also made the conscious decision to go into my own fights without receiving cornering instructions.
After ten years away from competition, but ten years spent producing champions, studying opponents and developing fighters, I wanted to trust the gift I believe God had given me for analysing combat and reading what was in front of me.
Some people tried to talk me out of competing in MMA. Even an England official said winning medals in K-1 alone would be an exceptional achievement after ten years away and questioned why I would take the additional risk.
But if I was going to return, I had to go all in.
The sacrifice wasn’t only physical. I told very few people I was competing. I was still teaching classes, preparing the fighters selected to travel to the championships, watching their bouts and studying opponents. Even at the championships, whenever I could, I was cornering and supporting my fighters.
By the day of the finals, I was completely exhausted.
There was also a personal weight I was carrying. My mother didn’t know I was in Italy competing. During one phone call, I learned that she was deeply distressed about a difficult family situation back in London. I encouraged her, but I was carrying that concern with me as well. That night, I couldn’t properly sleep. I kept my Bible beside me and had to dig deeply into my faith.
In the MMA final, I faced a strong wrestler who caught me in a difficult hold. I remember praying: “Lord, protect me. Let me see this round through and let me step into that ring, because if I am injured now I may not be able to compete in the K-1 final.”
I felt that prayer was heard.
After the MMA match, my injured arm had seized up. Before the K-1 final, I was warming up with one of my students and told him, “I literally cannot move my arm.”
The arena was loud, I was shattered, and I knew I had to find something deeper than physical strength.
I went to a quiet corner and prayed, asking God to give me strength. Afterwards, I personally felt a tingling sensation through my body and a new burst of energy. I started hitting the pads sharply and said, “That is enough — where is this guy in the final? I need to get in that ring now.”
Just before I walked into the K-1 ring, I could hear a familiar voice from my earlier martial-arts years as clearly as if it were beside me: “You can do it, Sobhraj. Go and do it.”
In that decisive moment, I drew on everything I had learned, lived and developed.
I told myself: “I was taught by the best. I am the best. What is this guy going to do? Let’s go.”
By God’s grace, I won medals in every discipline I entered.
Reaching that level demanded faith, courage, discipline and a willingness to accept risk. More than anything, it demanded the belief that I could lead from the front.
Becoming Grand Unified World Champion was not just a personal achievement. It was proof to my students that the principles I teach — belief, preparation, resilience and purpose — are principles I have been willing to live by myself.
To God be the glory.
Being a fighter has shaped every part of the way I coach.
I understand the sacrifices behind the performance: the nerves before a fight, the pressure of stepping into the ring or cage, the importance of sleep, the right warm-up, preparation, mindset and knowing that somebody believes in you when it matters most.
Those are things you can only truly understand when you have lived them yourself.
Having been a coach for many years, I also understand the importance of having the right person beside you in battle.
A good coach or corner isn’t simply there to shout instructions. They are there to bring calm when the fighter’s mind is racing, see what the fighter cannot see, read the pace and the opponent and make the right decisions under pressure.
I have a saying that has now become a well-known quote: “The greatest skill is the ability to listen.”
At a high level, a fighter needs a trusted voice. You can have talent, courage and conditioning, but if you cannot listen at the right moment, you may miss the instruction that changes the fight.
Commentators have often said when my fighters compete that it can look like a two-on-one battle.
For me, that is the aim.
The fighter and coach should be fighting as one. Two heads are better than one. The coach becomes the fighter’s eyes; the fighter becomes the instrument that carries out the instruction.
When there is real alignment between a fighter and their coach, it creates a harmony and connection that is difficult to fully explain. It can feel like magic.
From the corner, I now see more clearly that a fighter’s success is rarely theirs alone. It is built on the teaching, system, philosophy, advice and passion of the people who have invested in them.
A fighter should be proud of their achievement, but they should never forget who helped them develop, who stood beside them and whose guidance helped get them there.
That is the standard I try to bring as England Head Coach for Ringsports and through SN Combat: prepare fighters properly, build trust, demand discipline and make sure that, when the moment comes, they know they are not stepping into battle alone.
It is absolutely essential.
SN Combat is an accredited martial art developed with a warfare mindset, but for me that does not mean glorifying violence. It means preparing people to face life’s challenges with discipline, courage, self-control and purpose.
If you take away the competitive side of combat sports, I believe the core essence of martial arts is to know yourself.
It is about discipline, following a code of respect and learning how to conduct yourself when life puts pressure on you. Competition can reveal someone’s ability, but character reveals who they really are.
I have a quote on the SN Combat website that came to me years ago:
“What is a champion without character? Absolutely nothing.”
I stand by that completely.
A person can win belts, trophies and titles, but if they have no respect, become arrogant or cannot treat people properly, then they have missed the real lesson of martial arts.
Modern society can place too much emphasis on winning and turning athletes into superstars. Success is important, and I want every fighter at SN Combat to aim high, but winning cannot be the only message.
If a fighter or martial artist cannot contribute positively to society, then they are not representing the art properly and are not a true ambassador for it.
That is why SN Combat Academy is a school of excellence, not simply a fight gym.
We teach self-belief — what many people call confidence — resilience, discipline, respect and excellence. Those values aren’t only for the gym, ring or cage. They help people become better sons, daughters, parents, friends, workers, leaders and members of their communities.
Producing champions is something I am proud of. But helping someone become a stronger, more disciplined and more respectful person is just as important — and in many cases, it is the greater victory.
I have seen first-hand that combat sports can change the direction of a young person’s life.
When I first set up my gym in Thornton Heath, Croydon, I knew many local families were dealing with real financial pressure. I also knew how difficult it could be for a young person to access structured training, positive role models and a safe place to belong.
That is why I later founded a community centre, which became the charity now known as the Thai Boxing Community Centre.
The purpose was simple but important: support disadvantaged young people, help steer them away from trouble and give them positive direction through combat sports and martial arts.
Over the years, we have tried wherever possible to make sessions accessible through free project-based training and subsidised household rates for families.
I’m proud of the titles our young people have won, but medals are only part of the story.
In 2013, two young members became Double Unified World Champions, winning gold medals in both Thai boxing and K-1 kickboxing. Many others have gone on to hold Southern Area, English, British, European and World titles.
For some, the sport gave them the opportunity to travel to places they may otherwise never have seen.
What makes me even prouder is what happens beyond the ring.
Many young people who walked through our doors have grown into responsible adults who contribute positively to society. Some have remained with us as volunteers, project managers and instructors, giving back to the next generation through the same community centre that once helped them.
We have also worked closely with the police over the years on projects intended to bridge the gap between young people and officers.
During the Croydon riots, I was particularly proud that none of the young people I worked with were involved. One of our young champions put it best: he was too busy training and focused on his next competition to entertain that kind of behaviour.
That is the power of having a goal, a routine and people around you who believe in you.
Seeing that full circle — from a young person walking through the door unsure of themselves, to becoming a champion, volunteer, instructor or positive role model — is one of the greatest rewards of my work.
My long-term vision for SN Combat isn’t simply to open more gyms.
It is to protect, develop and pass on an accredited martial-art system that gives people genuine pathways: from beginner to disciplined student, to fighter if that is their goal, then to instructor, mentor, coach and leader within the SN Combat family.
I want fighters and instructors who have benefited from the system to become part of the next generation that carries it forward.
Some people may retire from competition but remain deeply valuable to the academy. They can develop aspiring fighters, teach the standards, pass on the ethos and become the trusted coaches and role models that new members need.
But SN Combat isn’t only for fighters.
It is for anyone who experiences the SN way as a school of excellence and wants to become a better person: more disciplined, resilient, respectful and able to conduct themselves with dignity in every area of life.
In that sense, success isn’t just about producing champions; it is about producing people capable of helping others become champions in life and, where appropriate, in competition.
I would like to see carefully developed opportunities for black belts within SN Combat to lead future academies, branches or, one day, properly structured franchise locations.
That growth must never come at the expense of quality or identity.
Every SN Combat Academy, whether in the UK or eventually elsewhere in the world, must be connected to the same system, teaching standards, code of respect and values upon which the academy was founded.
SN Combat must always remain clear about where it came from. I want people entering any SN Combat Academy to understand that it was founded by a man who lived the system, tested himself, built from the ground up and believes martial arts should help people face life’s challenges with discipline, confidence and character.
Ultimately, I want SN Combat to bless the people who come through it. I want it to create opportunities for instructors, fighters, young people and families while giving them something bigger than a class timetable: a place to belong, a system to believe in and a standard they can carry into every part of life.
Receiving the Relentless Magazine Combat Sports Pioneer Award and becoming a Relentless Magazine Sports Awards Ambassador means a great deal to me.
After more than two decades of dedication to combat sports and martial arts, it is humbling to have those years of hard work, experience and perseverance recognised.
The recognition means even more because the journey has never been without setbacks.
There have been injuries, challenges, sacrifices and moments when it would have been easier to step away. To have that full journey acknowledged — not only the titles, but the work behind them and what I have tried to build through SN Combat and the Thai Boxing Community Centre — makes it worthwhile.
What Relentless Magazine is striving to achieve through sport and accomplishment aligns strongly with my own ethos.
I believe recognition should be about more than a trophy. It should honour people who have continued to show up, create opportunities, raise standards and contribute positively, even when the road hasn’t been easy.
To me, being relentless means never giving up on your calling, dream or vision.
It means continuing to strive for excellence and self-belief through faith, no matter what setbacks or challenges come your way. It doesn’t mean acting without reflection; it means having the discipline to keep moving forward with purpose when you know you have something meaningful to give.
I am deeply grateful to James W. Phillips and the Relentless Magazine team for this recognition. The award means the world to me, and I am proud to support a platform that seeks to celebrate the right people and promote the positive power of sport.
I pray that God richly blesses James, the team and the work they are doing with health, peace and true prosperity.
I want the name Sobhraj Nankani to be remembered and associated with combat sports in a meaningful way.
I want people to see the journey of a young man who fell in love with the art of combat, faced challenges, stayed committed to his calling and allowed that life journey to shape the ethos behind his martial-arts philosophy.
My faith is central to that legacy.
I have tried to live by the principle I once read in Scripture: the greatest is the one who serves. I also believe there is little value in gaining the world if you lose your soul.
Titles, recognition and success are blessings, but they should never come at the cost of character, humility, purpose or the way you treat people.
I want my name to be synonymous with never giving up on your dream, no matter what obstacles come your way.
Injury, setbacks, disappointment and sacrifice are all part of life. The question is whether you allow them to define you or whether you continue to grow through faith, resilience, self-belief and hard work.
For SN Combat Academy, I want to leave a legacy of a unique way of approaching both combat and life’s challenges.
SN Combat is more than a competitive style. It is a system, an ethos and a school of excellence built on resilience, discipline, respect, confidence and character.
I want people to know they can come into the academy seeking fitness, self-defence, confidence, community or competitive opportunity, but leave with a stronger understanding of themselves and what they are capable of becoming.
The greatest legacy would be seeing the people who came through SN Combat live those values long after any one title, event or chapter has passed.
I want former students, fighters, instructors and young people to become people who serve their families, communities and the next generation with integrity.
If they carry the SN Combat values with them and use them to make a positive difference in the world, then I will know the system has fulfilled its purpose.
Ultimately, I want Sobhraj Nankani and SN Combat to stand for excellence without arrogance, strength with character, and martial arts used to help people become better in every part of life.
Sobhraj Nankani’s story is one of sporting achievement, but perhaps its most compelling chapter exists beyond the medals.
From the young boy captivated by Bruce Lee on a cinema screen to the veteran fighter who returned after a decade away to test himself on the world stage, Nankani’s career has been defined by an unwillingness to accept that adversity should dictate what comes next.
Today, his attention is increasingly focused on passing that philosophy forward.
Through SN Combat Academy, his work with young people and his role as England Head Coach for Ringsports, the objective is no longer simply winning the next fight. It is creating fighters, coaches and future leaders capable of carrying those standards into the next generation.
His appointment as a Relentless Magazine Sports Awards Ambassador therefore feels particularly fitting.
The Relentless Magazine Sports Awards were created to recognise not only sporting achievement, but the coaches, pioneers, mentors, professionals and unsung heroes whose determination and contribution can transform the lives of others.
In Sobhraj Nankani, those worlds collide.
Champion. Coach. Founder. Mentor. Ambassador.
But perhaps the philosophy behind everything he has built can still be expressed most powerfully in his own words:
“What is a champion without character? Absolutely nothing.”
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