Sangram Singh
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Sangram Singh | |
|---|---|
 Singh in 2019 | |
| Born | 21 July 1985 |
| Occupations | Wrestler, actor, motivational speaker |
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (185 cm) |
| Spouse | |
Sangram Singh (born 21 July 1985) is an Indian wrestler, actor, motivational speaker and MMA Fighter.[2][3][4][5]
Sangram was born in a JAT family of village of Madina, located in Rohtak, Haryana. He was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis and used a wheelchair for the first eight years of his life.[6] His father, Umed Singh, is a retired Army soldier, while his mother, Ramodevi, is a homemaker.[7]
Career
Professional wrestling career
Sangram Singh started his career as a sportsperson with the Delhi Police in 1999.[9] In All India Police Games 2005 he represented Delhi Police at Chawla (New Delhi) and won a bronze medal. He was awarded the title World's Best Professional Wrestler by World Wrestling Professionals (WWP), after a match in South Africa in 2012 for his style, stamina, and nature of wrestling.[10]
In July 2015, Sangram won the WWP Commonwealth Heavyweight Championship after defeating Joe E. Legend in the Last Man Standing fight in Port Elizabeth.[11] Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi called Sangram Singh at the Parliament house to congratulate him for his victory.[12]
Sangram won the WWP Commonwealth Heavyweight Championship for the second time on 27 March 2016, by defeating South African wrestler Ananzi, keeping the belt in India. The match was held at Port Elizabeth, South Africa.[13]
After a six-year hiatus, Singh returned to professional wrestling at the Dubai Pro International Wrestling Championship on 24 February 2024, where he defeated Pakistan’s Mohammad Saeed and won his match.[14][15]
Mixed martial arts career
In October 2024, Singh made his mixed martial arts (MMA) debut at the Gama International Fighting Championship in Tbilisi, Georgia, defeating Pakistan’s Ali Raza Nasir in 90 seconds.[16] The bout was widely reported in Indian media as a significant milestone, with Singh becoming the first Indian male wrestler to successfully transition into MMA and win a professional bout.
At the age of 40, Singh’s entry into MMA was noted by media outlets as an uncommon achievement for an athlete beginning a professional mixed martial arts career at that stage of life.
In November 2025, Singh competed in the Levels Fight League in Amsterdam, Netherlands, where he defeated Tunisian fighter Hakim Trabelsi in his bout.[17][18][19] This was his second professional MMA fight, and with this victory he became the first Indian athlete to compete in the promotion and also secure a win in this league.
In April 2026, Singh competed in an MMA bout in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where he defeated French fighter Florian Coudier in 1 minute and 45 seconds.[20][21][22] With this victory, he became the first Indian athlete to win a mixed martial arts bout in Argentina, and recorded his third consecutive win in MMA competitions.
Following his victory in Argentina in April 2026, Singh was praised by Union Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya for promoting yoga and pranayama internationally. The Sports Ministry also expressed support for his involvement in initiatives aimed at promoting fitness and motivating youth participation in sports across India.[23][24]
Social service and motivational speaking
Sangram has been involved in social service and conducts various motivational talks for corporate companies. He motivates youngsters at schools and colleges by sharing his life journey.[26][27] He was a motivational speaker for Indian wrestlers who were representing India in the Commonwealth Games.[28][6] Sangram has also been part of promotion to create awareness about voting in Haryana, his hometown.[29] Singh announced the launch of the Champions Pro Khusti league in December 2015 in Mumbai. Sangram played his first international match in India in Chandigarh on 6 February 2016, the proceeds of which were dedicated to the benefit of cancer patients.[30] Recently, Sangram Singh adopted 16 girls and 7 boys from his hometown Haryana and has sponsored their education. This is along with the adoption of a school in Satara, Maharashtra.[31][32] Sangram Singh Foundation organised the first wrestling awards to felicitate and honour the forgotten heroes from wrestling who had won individual medals for India over the years on 16 September 2017 in New Delhi.[33][non-primary source needed]
Entertainment
In 2018 Director Mahesh Bhatt presented his first music video with Sangram Singh.[34] Sangram shared his fitness mantra with actress Raveena Tandon on her television chat show Simply Baatein.[35] Sangram also featured in Hrithik Roshan and Discovery India's television show HRX Heroes depicting stories of real-life heroes. Sangram's journey from the wheelchair to being an international professional wrestler was portrayed in this show.[36] DD Sports telecasted a panel discussion series titled Rio to Tokyo: Vision 2020 to encourage participation of female athletes in various fields of sports. A special show as part of the series was hosted by Sangram Singh at Haryana's MD University Rohtak on 19 December 2016.[37] Sangram has walked the ramp for designers like Sanjana Jon, Nitya Bajaj Birla, Dhruv Vaish in the Fashion Design Council of India.[38]
Sportswear line
Sangram launched his sportswear range SGXbySangramSingh in Delhi on 17 March 2016 at the Fashion Design Council of India. This launch was supported by celebrity designer Rohit Bal (the council's president), Sunil Sethi and Sangram's fiancée, actress Payal Rohatgi.[39]
Awards and recognition
Sangram received the Man of Substance award on India Men Show which took place on 18 April 2019, at the Metropolitan Hotel, New Delhi. He is also the world peace brand ambassador of Wockhardt Group. He received the title Indian Affairs Indian of the year 2014 in Sports Leadership at the 5th Annual Indian Affairs, founded by Satya Brahma, at India Leadership Conclave & Indian Affairs Business Leadership Awards 2014.[40] He gave a motivational talk to the students of IIT Delhi in February 2016 when he was invited to the institution as a guest of honour.[41] Recently, a chapter on Sangram's life journey has been included in Hindi textbooks for children studying in the 7th standard.[42] A scholarship in a university under Sangram Singh has been offered to students who come from modest families.[43] Sangram was also appointed the brand ambassador for Haryana Kabaddi League, that was organised in Haryana in June 2016.[44] Sangram was invited by the AYUSH ministry and the NDMC to Delhi as guest of honour to motivate youngsters on International Yoga Day 2016, by sharing his life story and talking about the benefits of yoga.[45]
Personal life
Sangram Singh hails from Rohtak, Haryana. He has a brother and a sister. Born in the village of Madina, Sangram fought rheumatoid arthritis and got up from the wheelchair to become a wrestler representing India. He also had a brief stint in Delhi Police. Sangram and actress Payal Rohatgi got engaged on 27 February 2014 at a ceremony in Payal's hometown Ahmedabad.[46]
Singh started a fitness campaign to motivate people[47] He has donated towards PM's relief fund and also working with an NGO.[48]
Singh married actress Payal Rohatgi in a traditional Hindu wedding ceremony on 9 July 2022 in Agra, Uttar Pradesh.[49]
Filmography
Films
| Year | Title | Director | Note | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Uvaa | [50] | ||
| Ek Tha Khashava | [51] | |||
| 2021 | God of Cricket | Sudesh Kanojia | [52] | |
| Udaan | [53] |
Television
| Year | Name | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Survivor India | Contestant | Eliminated |
| 2013 | Welcome – Baazi Mehmaan Nawazi Ki | Winner | |
| 2013 | Bigg Boss 7 | Finalist | |
| 2014 | SuperCops vs Supervillains | Inspector Sangram | |
| 2015 | Nach Baliye 7 | Along with Payal Rohatgi | |
| 2022 | Lock Upp (season 1) | Guest | |
| Senior World Wrestling Championship | Host and Commentator | ||
| Be A Champion with Sangram Singh | Host and Narrator | ||
| Jeetunga Main | Host and Himself | ||
| Hausalon Ki Udaan | Host | ||
| 100% De Dana Dan | Himself | ||
| Sacch Ka Saamna | Himself | ||
| Big Toss | Himself | ||
| Badi Door Se Aaye Hai | Armaan Kumar | ||
| Tau aur Bhau | Host | ||
| Simply Baatien with Raveena | Himself | ||
| HRX heroes | Himself | ||
| IRT India | Himself | ||
| Rio to Tokyo: Vision 2020 | Host | ||
Wrestling
| Year | competition | Location | Category | Place/medal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 49th Senior Men Greco Roman Style National Wrestling Championship | Ranchi | 120 kg | Second / Silver[54] |
| 2005 | World Senior Wrestling Championship | Budapest (Hungary) | 96 kg | Participated[55] |
| 2005 | All India Police Games, Represent Delhi Police | Chawla (New Delhi) | 96 kg | Bronze Medal[56] |
| 2006 | Johnie Reitz Big-5 Wrestling Competition (Open Championship) | Johannesburg (South Africa) | 96 kg | Gold medal[57][58] |
| 2007 | All India Open Wrestling Competition | Delhi | 110 kg | Gold / First[59] |
| 2015 | WWP Commonwealth Heavyweight Championships | Port Elizabeth, South Africa | last man standing | Winner[60] |
| 2016 | Champions ProKhusti | Mohali, Chandigarh, India | defeat Robbie E | Winner[61] |
| 2016 | WWP Commonwealth Heavyweight Championships | Port Elizabeth, South Africa | defeat Ananzi | Winner[13] |
| 2017 | KD Jadhav Memorial International Khusti Championships | Talkatora Stadium, New Delhi | defeat Kevin Radford Jr | Winner[62] |
| 2024 | Dubai Pro International wrestling championship organised by WPWH- World professional wrestling hub | Dubai Alhail | defeat Mohammad Saeed | Winner[63] |
| 2024 | Gama International Fighting Championship | Tbilisi, Georgia | defeat Ali Raza Nasir | Winner[64] |
| 2025 | Levels Fight League | Amsterdam, Netherlands | defeated Hakim Trabelsi | Winner[65][66][67] |
