New Delhi, Sep 14 (IANS) When Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) makes its Asian Games debut at Aichi-Nagoya 2026, India’s Varun Sanyal will enter the competition carrying both an established record and a personal journey shaped by wrestling, WWE and a love for the Rocky Balboa story.

A two-time national champion and bronze medallist at the Asian AMMA Championships in China in January 2026, Varun will compete in the men’s traditional 77kg division as MMA makes its first appearance as a medal sport at the Asian Games.

Varun is part of a two-member Indian MMA contingent for the Games, alongside Suchika Tariyal Hooda, who represented India in kurash at the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou and will compete in the women’s 60kg category.

A professional fighter and a first-class business management honours graduate from Queen Mary University of London, Varun’s introduction to combat sports came through an unlikely combination of professional wrestling and cinema. WWE and TNA sparked his initial interest, while watching Sushil Kumar and Yogeshwar Dutt succeed at the 2012 London Olympics pushed him further towards martial arts.

“Seeing our Olympians succeed really drew me towards martial arts and eventually towards MMA. MMA is, in many ways, the most primal form of sport and competition, so I was naturally drawn to it. It’s also a life skill. Learning how to defend yourself, stay calm under pressure and make decisions when you’re under physical threat are incredibly important skills. Having to make decisions under pressure, sometimes with very serious consequences, has been one of the biggest learnings I’ve taken from MMA,” Varun told SAI Media.

Varun’s sporting development was also shaped by a wide range of disciplines. Growing up in Singapore, he played cricket, football, athletics and squash, while also taking up powerlifting before moving into wrestling, Jiu-Jitsu, Muay Thai and eventually MMA.

His father, economist and author Sanjeev Sanyal, a member of the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister of India, has been a constant source of support throughout that journey.

“Growing up, I remember my father taking me out to the field and kicking a football around with me. He would take me to play squash, we’d sometimes go on random runs, and he’d make us do exercises together. Even when I was very young, he put me into taekwondo classes, although I wasn’t particularly interested in it at the time. As I grew up, whether it was playing cricket, going to the gym, or getting into powerlifting, he was always very supportive.

“MMA took him a little bit of time to come around to, but I can’t deny how supportive he’s been throughout my journey. When it comes to MMA, he’s always discussing it with me and trying to understand the sport a little more. He’s supportive in whatever way he can be,” said Varun.

The Asian Games qualification journey, however, was far from straightforward. After winning the MMA SFI Nationals in 2025, Varun qualified for the Asian AMMA Championships in China, where his bronze medal placed him within the Asian ranking system.

“At the time, though, it wasn’t particularly clear who had qualified for the Asian Games or what the qualification process was going to look like. There wasn’t much clarity from the Asian side about how the qualification process would work. So rather than sitting around waiting, I decided to focus on my professional career.

“Eventually, I received final confirmation that I would be going to the Asian Games just two weeks before the Games themselves. So, obviously, preparing mentally and physically for something of this magnitude in such a short period has been quite a challenge. But I suppose that’s part of sport. That’s what sport is,” said Varun.

Varun believes the inclusion of MMA at the Asian Games could prove transformative for the discipline in India, although he feels athletes still need greater institutional backing.

“The government is now aware of MMA and has shown more interest in the sport over the last year than it ever has before. That is certainly a positive step. We are still having to find support from different places just to continue our careers. I’m fortunate to have Raphe mPhibr sponsoring me and supporting me on my journey, and I’ve had other people support me over the years as well. But I understand that MMA is still a relatively new sport, and I trust that things will improve with time.”

Varun also acknowledged the efforts of national federation president Nikhil Kunder and others who have helped sustain the sport in India.

“I know how difficult it must be. The nationals, the events that have been conducted, and a lot of the training and expenses involved in supporting the fighters have been funded by the people running the federation themselves. A lot of that money has effectively gone straight out of Nikhil’s or the other people’s own pockets. So, while I’m happy that the government is now looking at MMA more closely, I would like to see that interest translate into more direct support for the athletes.”

With MMA now entering the Asian Games programme, Varun sees an opportunity to build a much wider competitive pathway for Indian fighters.

“We now have two Indian athletes who have qualified and are ranked in the top six in Asia. I don’t see why there can’t be more. I don’t see why, eventually, we can’t fill all the weight categories in MMA in the same way that we do in sports like wrestling and boxing,” said Varun.

--IANS

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