Indian-Origin MMA Fighter Killed in Rare Bear Attack in Canada Dreamed of Fighting in UFC

Key Points

The 27-year-old Indian-origin mixed-martial arts (MMA) trainer who was mauled to death by a bear in Canada’s northern Saskatchewan on May 8 2026, has formally been identified as Hrishikesh Koloth. The late fighter has had ambitions to compete in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), his family says.

Canadian media outlet CBC first broke the news of the tragic incident. Hrishikesh was the victim of a rare bear attack whilst he was working at a uranium site near the Nordbye Lake, around 850 kilometers away from the Saskatoon city. He was employed as a contractor technician at the Zoo Bay property, owned and operated by the UraniumX Discovery Corp, a Vancouver-based firm. 

Hailing from Kerala, India, Koloth emigrated to Canada three years ago and was residing in Pentincton, British Colombia with his brother, Arjun Koloth. He has had years of practice and training in the mixed-martial arts form, first undergoing training in India and further continuing it in Canada, and was well on his track to build a professional fighting career. 

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In a conversation with CBC, Arjun recalled that Hrishikesh’s life-long ambition was to fight professionally. “That was his dream. That’s why he came here. He wanted to fight in the UFC,” Arjun said, further remarking that his brother was training with Skoden Martial Arts in Penticton, and people believed in him. “Everybody had high hopes on him.” He went on to lament that his brother didn’t get to fulfill his potential. “It shouldn’t have been like this.”

Arjun further revealed that Hrishikesh was just a few weeks shy of starting his new job as a boxing coach in Vancouver. "Job is just a means to an end," Arjun said, "the end was to fight."

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Having returned to his hometown back in Kerala, India, for his brother’s funeral and to be with family, Arjun recounted how he learned about his brother’s tragic incident. “An RCMP [Canadian police] officer came to my door and knocked. He told me that my brother has passed away in Saskatchewan,” he said.

Arjun described the profound impact the tragedy had on him and explained why he chose to speak out: “I wanted him to be known for what he does, how he was. I can’t do anything anymore, so at least I could do this for him. I want him to be remembered for what he did.”

As per CBC, Hrishikesh’s death was the fourth fatal bear attack recorded in the history of Saskatchewan.

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