A tragic story out of northern Saskatchewan has revealed the heartbreaking final chapter of a young man chasing a dream of fighting in the UFC.
Hrishikesh Koloth, a 27-year-old originally from Kerala, India, was killed in a rare bear attack on May 8 while working at a uranium exploration site near Nordbye Lake.
According to his family, Koloth had spent years training in mixed martial arts and moved to Canada to pursue a professional fighting career.
Speaking in an interview with CBC News after the tragedy, his brother Arjun described Hrishikesh as someone completely devoted to combat sports.
“That was his dream. That’s why he came here,” Arjun said. “He wanted to fight in the UFC.”
Koloth had reportedly trained for more than a decade and worked with Skoden Martial Arts in Penticton, British Columbia. His brother said he was also preparing to begin a new job as a boxing coach in Vancouver next month.
Authorities confirmed the bear was later shot and killed at the scene. The incident marks only the fourth recorded fatal bear attack in Saskatchewan history.