Varun Sanyal, a two-time national MMA champion, will represent India in the men’s traditional 77kg division at the Asian Games 2026 in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, where MMA will make its debut as a medal sport and offer India a new opportunity to compete for continental honours.
Key Takeaways
- Varun Sanyal will represent India in the men’s traditional 77kg MMA division at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games 2026.
- The two-time national champion won bronze at the Asian AMMA Championships in China in January 2026.
- MMA will make its Asian Games debut in 2026, which Varun believes could transform the sport’s prospects in India.
Varun Sanyal will carry India’s medal hopes in a landmark edition of the Asian Games when Mixed Martial Arts makes its debut as a medal sport at Aichi-Nagoya 2026.
The two-time national champion has already made his mark at the continental level. He won a bronze medal at the Asian AMMA Championships in China in January 2026. That result placed him within the Asian ranking system and strengthened his case for the Asian Games.
Varun will compete in the men’s traditional 77kg division. He is part of a two-member Indian MMA team heading to the Games. Suchika Tariyal Hooda, who represented India in kurash at the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou, will compete in the women’s 60kg division.
For Varun, the Aichi-Nagoya Games represent more than another international competition. The tournament could mark a turning point for MMA in India.
From WWE to MMA
Varun’s journey into MMA began with an interest in professional wrestling.
He grew up watching WWE and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling. His admiration for Rocky Balboa also played a role in developing his interest in combat sports.
That interest became stronger after he watched Indian wrestlers Sushil Kumar and Yogeshwar Dutt succeed at the 2012 London Olympics.
“Seeing our Olympians succeed really drew me towards martial arts and eventually towards MMA,” Varun told SAI Media.
He described MMA as a sport that combines competition with practical life skills. According to Varun, learning to defend oneself, remain calm under pressure and make decisions during difficult situations has shaped his development.
His sporting journey began much earlier than MMA. While growing up in Singapore, Varun participated in cricket, football, athletics, squash and powerlifting.
He later moved into wrestling, Jiu-Jitsu and Muay Thai before finding his way to MMA.
Academic background and family legacy
Varun has also pursued an academic career alongside sport. He is a first-class business management honours graduate from Queen Mary University of London.
He is the son of Sanjeev Sanyal, an economist, author and member of the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister of India, and Smita Barooah.
The family has a notable association with India’s freedom movement. Varun’s great-granduncle Sachindranath Sanyal was a prominent revolutionary and co-founder of the Hindustan Republican Association.
Despite that background, Varun’s sporting journey developed through a wide range of disciplines.
He recalled his father’s role in encouraging him to stay active from a young age.
His father took him to play football and squash and encouraged him to run and exercise. Varun also attended taekwondo classes as a child.
Although his father initially needed time to accept MMA as a career choice, Varun said he has remained supportive.
“He’s supportive in whatever way he can be,” Varun said while describing his father’s involvement in his MMA journey.
Meeting the Prime Minister
Varun also recalled an interaction with Prime Minister Narendra Modi that gave him an opportunity to highlight MMA at the national level.
He said he was proud to represent the sport in front of the Prime Minister and explain more about MMA.
The interaction was brief, but Varun said the opportunity was significant.
He expressed hope that the Prime Minister would take a greater interest in MMA as the sport continues to grow in India.
The moment also reflected the increasing visibility MMA is gaining in the country.
A difficult road to the Asian Games
Varun’s qualification journey was not straightforward.
He won the MMA SFI Nationals in 2025. That victory earned him a place at the Asian AMMA Championships in China in January 2026.
His bronze medal there gave him an official ranking within the Asian system.
However, uncertainty surrounded the Asian Games qualification process.
Varun said there was limited clarity at the time over who would qualify and how the selection process would work.
Instead of waiting, he decided to focus on building his professional career.
Final confirmation of his Asian Games participation eventually came only two weeks before the Games.
That left him with limited time to prepare mentally and physically for the scale of the competition.
Varun acknowledged the difficulty but said such uncertainty is also part of sport.
MMA faces a test of sustainability in India
The Asian Games debut could provide MMA with a major boost in India. But Varun believes the sport still needs greater institutional and financial support.
He said the government has shown more interest in MMA over the past year than ever before.
That, he believes, is a positive development.
However, athletes still have to seek support from different sources to sustain their careers.
Varun credited Raphe mPhibr for sponsoring and supporting his journey. He also acknowledged other individuals who have backed him over the years.
He said MMA remains a relatively new sport in India and expressed hope that support will increase as its profile grows.
Call for greater support to MMA athletes
Varun also praised Nikhil Kunder, president of the national federation, for helping keep MMA active in India.
He pointed to the financial challenges involved in organising nationals, conducting events and supporting fighters.
According to Varun, federation officials have personally funded several aspects of the sport and its athletes.
He welcomed the government’s growing interest but said that interest should eventually translate into direct support for competitors.
For Varun, the long-term objective goes beyond his own Asian Games campaign.
India currently has two athletes who have qualified and are ranked among the top six in Asia, he said.
He believes that number can grow.
Varun also sees the possibility of India eventually filling more MMA weight categories at major international competitions, much as the country does in established combat sports such as wrestling and boxing.
A new chapter for Indian MMA
The Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games will give MMA its first opportunity to establish itself as a medal sport at the continental multi-sport event.
For Varun Sanyal, the occasion arrives at a crucial stage of his career.
His Asian bronze, national titles and professional experience have given him a strong platform. The short preparation window, however, adds another challenge to his campaign.
A medal would give Varun a personal breakthrough while also providing a major boost to an emerging sport in India.
More importantly, his Asian Games appearance could help demonstrate that MMA has the potential to develop into a sustainable competitive pathway for Indian athletes.