Suchika Tariyal wins India’s first Asian Games MMA medal, takes bronze in Nagoya

Nagoya: Suchika Tariyal created history for India on Monday, becoming the nation’s first medallist in mixed martial arts at the Asian Games after clinching bronze in the women’s traditional -60kg category at the Aichi-Nagoya edition.

Tariyal’s run ended in the semifinals, where she went down narrowly to Singapore’s Hui Hoon Teo in a contest that stretched into overtime. The split decision went against the Indian, denying her a place in the gold-medal bout but securing her a podium finish in MMA’s debut at the Asian Games.

The outcome left Tariyal visibly upset, yet the 36-year-old departs with a landmark achievement that signals a breakthrough for Indian MMA on the continental stage.

She had reached the last four after a controlled display against Mongolia’s Altanchimeg Baigalmaa in Sunday’s quarterfinals. A 2-0 win in that match ensured Tariyal at least a bronze, making her the first Indian to guarantee an Asian Games medal in the sport.

Tariyal’s latest success builds on a multi-discipline combat sports career. A national-level judoka, she represented India at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, reaching the bronze-medal match, before switching to kurash at the 2023 Asian Games.

She later rose to the top in jiu-jitsu, capturing a world title in fighting jiu-jitsu in 2024.

Her MMA journey began with a professional debut in 2017, when she won her first bout. She then stepped away from the cage for seven years to focus on judo and jiu-jitsu, before returning to MMA and signing a multi-fight contract with BRAVE Combat Federation in November 2024.

That comeback followed a period of setbacks, including a knee injury, and came after she gained wider public attention through an appearance on the reality show Roadies.

MMA is among six sports making their Asian Games bow in Aichi-Nagoya, along with freestyle BMX, teqball, padel, surfing and virtual taekwondo.

Though Tariyal missed out on the final, her bronze ensures India has left a mark in the sport’s first appearance at the continental multi-sport event, standing as a historic first for Indian MMA at the Asian Games.

(Inputs from IANS)