Varun Sanyal to represent India in MMA at 2026 Asian Games

Varun Sanyal, a bronze medallist at the Asian Championships in China in January 2026, will represent India in the Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) competition at the upcoming Asian Games 2026 in Aichi-Nagoya. MMA will make its debut at the Games, marking a significant milestone for the sport in Asia.

Now a professional fighter, Varun is part of a two-member Indian team competing in MMA, alongside Suchika Tariyal Hooda, who will compete in the women’s 60 kg division. Tariyal Hooda previously represented India in kurash at the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou, according to a press release from the Sports Authority of India (SAI).

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Varun, a first-class business management honours graduate from Queen Mary University of London, will compete in the men’s traditional 77 kg category. His interest in combat sports began with influences from WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment) and TNA (Total Nonstop Action Wrestling). A fan of Rocky Balboa, Varun’s motivation increased after watching Indian wrestlers Sushil Kumar and Yogeshwar Dutt succeed at the 2012 London Olympics.

Varun told SAI Media, “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 is 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.”

He comes from a distinguished family with a strong intellectual and public-service background. His father, Sanjeev Sanyal, is a noted economist, author and member of the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister of India, while his great-granduncle, Sachindranath Sanyal, was a prominent revolutionary and co-founder of the Hindustan Republican Association. Varun’s WhatsApp profile picture shows him posing with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Reflecting on meeting the Prime Minister, Varun said, “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 am very hopeful that as the sport continues to grow in India, PM Modi will take an even greater interest in it.”

Varun’s sporting journey is notable for its diversity. Raised in Singapore, he participated in cricket, football, athletics, squash and powerlifting before focusing on wrestling, Jiu-Jitsu and Muay Thai, eventually transitioning to MMA.

He described his father’s support, stating, “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 was not 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 cannot deny how supportive he has been throughout my journey. When it comes to MMA, he has always discussed it with me and trying to understand the sport a little more. He is supportive in whatever way he can be.”

Varun considers the Asian Games a potential turning point for MMA 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.”

On the sustainability of an MMA career in India, Varun stated, “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 have 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.”

He also praised Nikhil Kunder, president of the national federation, for his efforts in sustaining MMA 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.”

Varun added, “We now have two Indian athletes who have qualified and are ranked in the top six in Asia. I do not see why there cannot 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.”