MMA debutant Varun Sanyal draws inspiration from Rocky Balboa ahead of Asian Games 2026

Varun is a two-time national champion and a business management graduate from the UK

A bronze medallist at the Asian championships in China in January 2026, Varun Sanyal will be a serious medal prospect in the Mixed Martial Arts (MMA), a discipline that will make its debut at the upcoming Asian Games 2026 in Aichi-Nagoya.

MMA’s debut at Asian Games

Now a professional, Varun is part of a two-member Indian team that will represent the country in a sport that is fast gaining popularity in Asia. Suchika Tariyal Hooda, who represented India at the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou in Kurash, will feature in the 60 kg division for women.

From WWE fandom to martial arts

Varun, a first-class business management honours graduate from Queen Mary University of London, will feature in the men’s traditional 77 kg division in Aichi-Nagoya. His initial interest in combat sports was influenced by WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment) and TNA (Total Nonstop Action wrestling). A Rocky Balboa fan, Varun’s interest deepened after watching Indian wrestlers Sushil Kumar and Yogeshwar Dutt succeed at the 2012 London Olympics.

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“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 comes from a distinguished family with a strong intellectual and public-service background. He is the son of Sanjeev Sanyal, noted economist, author, and member of the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister of India, and Smita Barooah. His family also has a significant legacy associated with India’s freedom movement, with his great-granduncle Sachindranath Sanyal being a prominent revolutionary and co-founder of the Hindustan Republican Association. Varun’s WhatsApp display photo shows him posing alongside PM Modi.

“I was especially proud to represent MMA in front of the Prime Minister of India, make him aware of the sport and educate him a little bit about what MMA is. It was a very brief interaction, of course, but the opportunity alone meant a lot to me. I’m very hopeful that as the sport continues to grow in India, PM Modi will take an even greater interest in it,” said Varun.

A diverse sporting journey to MMA

Varun’s journey in MMA is distinctive not only for his achievements in the sport but also for the diverse sporting background that shaped his development. Growing up in Singapore, he participated in cricket, football, athletics, squash and powerlifting before progressing to wrestling, Jiu-Jitsu, Muay Thai, and ultimately MMA.

“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.

Asian Games, feels Varun, will be a gamechanger for the sport in India. “The pathway has been a little bumpy. I won the MMA SFI Nationals in 2025, which qualified me for the Asian AMMA Championships in January 2026 in China, where I won a bronze medal. That meant I was officially ranked within the Asian 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.
Can MMA be a sustainable sports career in India?

“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 credited Nikhil Kunder, the president of the national federation, for keeping MMA afloat 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.”

“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.

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