Varun Sanyal’s Journey From Singapore Military Service to Indian MMA

Varun Sanyal Discovered MMA During Military Service

For Varun Sanyal, mixed martial arts was not the sport he grew up playing. His early sporting life was shaped by cricket, along with football, athletics and rugby. But his path eventually moved towards combat sports, with the turning point coming during his military service in Singapore.

Born and raised in Singapore, Sanyal holds Singapore Permanent Residency but remains an Indian citizen. During his military service, where he worked in logistics, he began training in MMA. He has described the sport as something he had watched while growing up and eventually chose because of the challenge and intensity it offered.

His background has also led to some confusion about his nationality. Sanyal has repeatedly clarified that although he grew up in Singapore and holds permanent residency there, he has been an Indian citizen since birth.

Cricket Came First, But MMA Changed His Direction

Cricket was Sanyal’s first major sporting interest. He played the game while growing up in Singapore and also represented his university.

However, MMA offered him a different sporting experience. The physical intensity and competitive nature of combat sports eventually convinced him to pursue it more seriously.

Sanyal later continued his martial arts development in Singapore and the United Kingdom before beginning to train and compete in India in 2022. Both Singapore and Britain provided him exposure to established MMA training environments before India became an increasingly important part of his career.

His training has since become international. Based in Delhi, Sanyal travels regularly to train and has worked with teams and coaches in different locations, including London and Gurgaon. He has described himself as a “fighting nomad”, reflecting his approach of learning from different MMA systems rather than limiting himself to one gym or country.

Varun Sanyal Built His MMA Career in India

Sanyal remained an amateur for much of his early MMA career. According to his account, he had accumulated 17 fights since beginning his competitive journey in 2022, winning 13 of them. He also competed against several experienced international amateur fighters during this period.

His transition to professional MMA came only recently. He turned professional in June 2026, meaning he was still an amateur when he qualified for the Asian Games earlier in the year.

That transition illustrates how quickly his career has developed. Within a few years of beginning to compete in India, Sanyal moved from the amateur circuit to the professional ranks and earned an opportunity to represent India at the Asian Games.

Asian Games Opportunity Came After a Long Wait

MMA made its Asian Games debut at the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games, giving fighters such as Sanyal an opportunity to compete on one of Asia’s biggest sporting stages.

Sanyal qualified for the Games in January but later shifted his attention towards his professional career amid uncertainty surrounding the selection process. He was eventually named in the Indian team shortly before the Games.

His Asian Games campaign, however, ended before he could enter the competition arena. While attempting to make the 77kg limit, Sanyal experienced cramps and other symptoms during a sauna session and was subsequently declared medically unfit. The Indian Olympic Association said he underwent medical evaluation and precautionary blood tests before withdrawing on medical grounds.

Despite the disappointment, his wider journey remains significant for Indian MMA.

Sanyal Wants to Inspire the Next Generation

Sanyal’s Asian Games experience coincided with a landmark moment for Indian MMA. Suchika Tariyal won India’s first MMA medal at the Games, securing bronze in the women’s traditional 60kg category. She also acknowledged Sanyal’s support during the competition.

For Sanyal, the growth of Indian MMA is bigger than one competition.

He has spoken about wanting younger Indian fighters to see athletes such as himself and Suchika and believe that Indian competitors can challenge fighters from around the world.

From cricket fields in Singapore to military service, international training camps and the professional MMA circuit, Sanyal’s journey has taken an unconventional route. His Asian Games debut may have ended without a fight, but his career continues to represent the expanding pathway for Indian fighters in a sport that is gaining a larger place on the continental stage.