Who is Neeraj Goyat? All you need to know about Indian boxing sensation who is set to shine on Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson's stadium show undercard

MMA, boxing, and other forms of combat sports have expanded their global footprint considerably in recent years. While India is yet to catch up in terms of producing mainstream combat sports talent, rising stars like Neeraj Goyat have been making waves.

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Who is Neeraj Goyat?

Neeraj Goyat is an Indian professional boxer and MMA fighter. He was born on Nov. 11, 1991, in the Begumpur village in Karnal, Haryana to Joginder Singh and Kamla Devi. Goyat has a younger brother and a sister.

While he started boxing during his teenage years and has made it the primary focus of his life, Goyat also acquired a Bachelor of Science in Sports Science from Guru Nanak Khalsa College in Yamunanagar.

According to online sources, Goyat developed an interest in boxing due to the boxers' impressive physiques and personalities. He took his initial steps in gymnastics but eventually pivoted towards boxing.

The 32-year-old has won several medals in national and international boxing tournaments during his amateur boxing career. He made his professional boxing debut with a split decision defeat against China's Gou Wen Dong in November 2011 and has amassed an 18-4-2 (8 KO) record so far.

Besides professional boxing, Goyat has also appeared in a few Indian movies like 'Toofan' and 'RRR'. According to reports, he helped actor and filmmaker Farhan Akhtar prepare for boxing fight scenes in 'Toofan'. He also featured in the reality show Big Boss OTT Season 3 in June 2024 but was eliminated shortly after.

Goyat shot to fame in the Western boxing community after his online feud with YouTuber-turned-professional boxer Jake Paul. While the fight between the two has not materialized so far, the 32-year-old seems poised to meet the younger Paul sibling inside the boxing ring.

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When Neeraj Goyat expressed gratitude and revealed his future plans in an Independence Day post

Neeraj Goyat is set to fight Whindersson Nunes next on Nov. 15, on the undercard of the bizarre Mike Tyson vs. Jake Paul fight. The event is set to take place at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, and will broadcast live on Netflix.

On the 78th Indian Independence Day on Aug. 15, Goyat took to Instagram to wish his fellow countrymen and promote his upcoming fight. In the caption, Goyat shared his thoughts on fighting on the undercard of an event headlined by "his idol" Mike Tyson while calling out Jake Paul. The caption read:

"Happy 78th Independence Day. I’m very blessed and happy that I will be representing my country on 15th Nov in Texas, USA by fighting in the same stadium, in the same ring in which my idol @miketyson and one of the greatest boxers @serranosisters are fighting. @jakepaul I’m coming for you after this. I wanna thank @mostvaluablepromotions for this opportunity and putting India on the global map of Pro Boxing."