Sangram Singh returns to MMA at 40, set to compete in an international tournament in Poland in the 83–90 kg category
He made history in his MMA debut, winning in just 90 seconds and becoming the first Indian male wrestler to win an international MMA bout
Powered by a vegetarian, Ayurvedic diet, Singh proves that traditional Indian nutrition can fuel elite performance in global combat sports
While most athletes are thinking about retirement, Sangram Singh is thinking about sharpening his strikes. The 40-year-old former Commonwealth Heavyweight Wrestling Champion is not only making a comeback; he is changing the narrative in combat sports altogether. In announcing his return to MMA, Singh will be entering the cage again this year at an international tournament in Poland, competing 83-90 kg. For him, though, it is never just about the fight. It's about showing that a warrior spirit cannot be defined by time, age, and expectations.
From being bedridden and wheelchair-bound in his own home in his teens due to worsening rheumatoid arthritis to being one of India's most loved and respected wrestlers, Singh has constantly beaten the odds. Last year, he became an international sensation when he debuted at the Gama International Fighting Championship in Tbilisi, Georgia.
He stepped into the cage against a Pakistani fighter who was 17 years younger than him, and he shocked the world when he achieved a victory in 90 seconds, becoming a record-holder for the first Indian male wrestler to win an international MMA fight, and fastest Indian victory in the 93 kg weight class. It was not just a victory, it was a proclamation.
Poland Tournament: A New Chapter in MMA at Age 40
Singh views his next fight in Poland, not as an ending point, but rather as a forceful continuation of his legacy. “Age is just a number when your soul refuses to give up,” Singh has implanted his unique array of hard work, commitment, and optimism in every training camp. Indicating the symbolic nature of his board, he exclaimed, “When I stepped into that octagon in Georgia at 40, fighting against a fighter 17 years younger than me, I wasn’t just fighting for myself, I was fighting to show every dreamer in their 20s, 30s, and 40s that their time is still ahead.”
This individual story wholeheartedly aligns with Singapore's greater mission; to help break limiting beliefs and demonstrate that there are no limits to athletic accomplishment? For Singh, competing on the global stage again, albeit in Poland, serves as a powerful testament that we do not have to lose the epic pursuit of greatness to aging, but often we can redefine greatness with age, as we develop maturity and purpose.
Sangram Singh’s Vegetarian Lifestyle
Singh is decidedly vegetarian, and holds that this manner of eating is more than simply a way of life. Provokingly, Singh says, if asked, "What's your greatest capability?" he would answer: "My vegetarian lifestyle is not a limitation, it's my superpower." He advocates that plant‑based nutrition can be as effective as other sport nutrition approaches when (and only when!) optimizing elite human performance.
Singh's approach is underlined by traditional Indian nutrition, with staples such as rotis, seasonal produce, ghee, and Ayurvedic supplements (including ashwagandha), and broadens the pathways to creativity that demonstrate modern sport science and traditional methods can coalesce.
