This month wrestler Sangram Singh made MMA history when he became the first Indian to win a Mixed Martial Arts fight on Argentine soil on April 5, at the Tigre Sports Club stadium, Buenos Aires. Sangram faced significant last minute challenges when his original opponent, French fighter Mauteu Moteiro, withdrew due to a knee injury and was replaced by Florian Coudiere, forcing the wrestler to adjust his strategy. This is when his wife Payal Rohatgi supported him and said, “You should do it.” Sangram shares, “Jab beech mein main nahi jaa raha tha, Payal ne mujhe bola, ‘You should do it.’ She explained that I have come so far but I told her my opponent had changed and I was preparing accordingly (according to the previous opponent). Payal was sending me only one message: ‘Keep yourself safe. Trust yourself, don’t trust others too much.’”
Further talking about his wife, Sangram tells us, “We are completely opposite and that is why we are together. Koi bhi cheez hogi naa, normal si cheez hogi woh unke liye alag badhi cheez hogi. Mere liye toh koi badhi cheez bhi normal hogi. Baaki magar woh theek hai, agar usko aap pasand nahi aaye toh woh muh pe bolegi par fir aapke peeth ke peeche nahi bolegi. Toh aise insaan harmful nahi hote, achhe insaan hote hain.”
He goes on to explain, “I have learnt from Payal to live life without worrying about what others think. Iss duniya mein kum insaan hote hain jo jaise dikhte hain waise hote hain. She’s one of them. Yeh doosri baat hai ki kayi baar woh apni limit, apni boundary se different chale jaate hain. Par genuine couple aise hi hote hain. Maine kayi show kiye, kayi couples ko dekha jo fake the: ‘I’m there for you, chand tod dun ya taare tod dun.’ Woh sab alag ho gaye. Jo genuine couple honge naa, woh rail ki patri ki tarah rahenge. Saath zaroor chalenge par unke vichaar kabhi nahi milenge. Jo purane zamane mein dushman hote the naa, iss zamane mein pati-patni banke aa jaate hain (laughs). Starting se leke end tak unka argument hota hi rehta hai kisi na kisi baat pe.”
Sharing words of wisdom for other couples, the wrestler concludes, “Main har couple ko yahi salah dunga ki koi bhi rishta ho usme patience rakhein.”
Sangram and Payal’s love story began in 2012 on the reality show Survivors India. In 2022, they got married in Agra. Last year, Sangram and Payal made headlines due to divorce rumours. But the wrestler later clarified that these were baseless reports.