Nagoya, September 21, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Suchika Tariyal created history for India on Monday by becoming the country’s first Asian Games medallist in mixed martial arts, securing bronze in the women’s traditional -60kg event at the Aichi-Nagoya Games.
Tariyal’s historic run ended in the semifinals after she suffered a narrow defeat to Singapore’s Hui Hoon Teo in an overtime bout. The Indian lost by the smallest possible margin, missing out on a place in the gold-medal contest but securing a place on the podium at MMA’s Asian Games debut.
The result was a difficult one for the 36-year-old, who was visibly disappointed after the decision. Despite falling short of the final, her bronze medal marks a landmark moment for Indian MMA at the continental level.
Tariyal had booked her semifinal place with a composed 2-0 quarterfinal victory over Mongolia’s Altanchimeg Baigalmaa on Sunday. The win made her the first Indian athlete to secure an Asian Games medal in MMA.
The historic achievement adds another chapter to Tariyal’s career across multiple combat disciplines. A national-level judoka, she represented India at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, where she reached the bronze-medal bout. She subsequently competed in kurash at the 2023 Asian Games.
Tariyal later established herself in Jiu-Jitsu, winning a world title in fighting Jiu-Jitsu in 2024.
She had also competed in MMA earlier, making her professional debut in 2017 and winning her first bout. She then spent seven years away from the sport while concentrating on judo and Jiu-Jitsu before returning to MMA and signing a multi-fight contract with BRAVE Combat Federation in November 2024.
Her comeback followed setbacks including a knee injury. She also gained wider public recognition after appearing on the television reality show Roadies.
MMA is among six sports making their Asian Games debut at Aichi-Nagoya. The other debut sports are freestyle BMX, teqball, padel, surfing and virtual taekwondo.
Although Tariyal could not advance to the final, her bronze has ensured India made an immediate mark in MMA’s first appearance at the Asian Games and given the country its first medal in the sport at the continental multi-sport event.
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