A 27-year-old Indian-origin mixed martial arts (MMA) trainee who died in a rare bear attack in northern Saskatchewan, Canada has been identified as Hrishikesh Koloth, a fighter who dreamed of competing in the UFC, according to his family.Hrishikesh Koloth was killed on May 8 while working at a uranium exploration site near Nordbye Lake, around 850 kilometres northeast of Saskatoon. He was employed as a contractor technician at the Zoo Bay property operated by Vancouver-based UraniumX Discovery Corp.He was from Kerala, India and had moved to Canada three years ago and was living in Penticton, British Columbia with his elder brother, according to CBC News. He had trained in MMA for more than a decade, first in India and later in Canada, and was preparing to pursue a professional fighting career.His brother, Arjun Koloth, said Hrishikesh’s lifelong ambition was to fight professionally.“That was his dream. That’s why he came here,” Arjun said. “He wanted to fight in the UFC.”He trained at Skoden Martial Arts in Penticton, where his coaches had high expectations for his future. Arjun said he was due to begin work as a boxing coach in Vancouver in June.“Job is just a means to an end,” Arjun said. “The end was to fight.”Arjun said Hrishikesh was fearless and committed to his goals. “He’s not scared of anything,” he said.Arjun added: “Two days notice before a fight? Doesn’t matter. Opponent heavier than him? Doesn’t matter. Win or lose, he just wanted to fight.”Arjun recalled receiving the devastating news early in the morning.“An RCMP came to my door and knocked and let me know that your brother has passed away in Saskatchewan,” he said.A civilian at the site shot and killed the bear following the attack. The animal was later sent for a necropsy.Hrishikesh’s brother is now in Kerala for the funeral rites and said he wanted his sibling to be remembered for who he was: “I want him to be remembered for what he does. Innocent heart, fighter’s soul. Warrior. And I’d just like to say he fought [the] bear. That’s all … bear didn’t attack him. He attacked the bear.”The case is considered extremely rare. It is only the fourth fatal bear attack in Saskatchewan’s recorded history. The last such incident occurred in 2020, when 44-year-old Stephanie Blais was killed near her family cabin north of Buffalo Narrows.
