Suchika Tariyal has made history at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, becoming the first Indian athlete to win a medal in mixed martial arts (MMA) at the continental Games. The 36-year-old Haryana fighter secured bronze in the women’s traditional 60kg category after a dramatic semi-final against Singapore’s Hui Hoon Teo.

Tariyal had entered the semi-finals with a strong 2-0 victory over Mongolia’s Altanchimeg Baigalmaa in the quarter-finals. That win had already assured India of its first-ever Asian Games MMA medal, with both losing semi-finalists guaranteed bronze.

The semi-final proved to be a much tougher and more unusual contest. Tariyal and Teo remained level after the scheduled rounds, and the fight went into an additional round. After the bout was eventually recorded as a draw, the result was decided under the competition’s lesser-weighted contestant rule.

Teo was around 700 grams lighter than Tariyal at the morning weigh-in. That narrow difference sent the Singapore fighter into the final and left Tariyal with the bronze medal. The Indian camp had protested the initial decision, after which the bout was recorded as a draw before the weight-based rule was applied.

The decision was a difficult moment for Tariyal. She was visibly emotional after missing out on a chance to fight for gold. She later said she believed she had won the fight and described the decision as unfair. Despite the disappointment, her bronze marked a major moment for Indian MMA.

The achievement is particularly significant because MMA is making its Asian Games debut at Aichi-Nagoya. Tariyal has therefore become the first Indian to stand on the Asian Games podium in the sport, giving the discipline a landmark moment in the country.

Tariyal’s path to the podium has been far from straightforward. Born in Rohtak, Haryana, she entered combat sports at the age of 12 after an incident of harassment. Judo initially became a form of self-defence, but it soon developed into a serious sporting career. She went on to become an eight-time national judo champion and represented India at major international competitions.

Her career has also taken her through several combat disciplines. She represented India in judo at the 2022 Commonwealth Games and competed in kurash at the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou. She later became a world champion in jiu-jitsu in 2024. Her experience across these sports helped prepare her for the demands of MMA, which requires athletes to combine striking, grappling and ground-fighting skills.

Tariyal first made her MMA debut in 2017 but took a seven-year break from the sport while continuing her career in judo and jiu-jitsu. She returned to professional MMA in 2024 and gradually built her way back into the international circuit. Her recent performances included bronze medals at the Asian MMA Championships earlier this year.

Her return was not easy. She has dealt with injuries and has largely funded much of her sporting journey herself. Support from the Sports Ministry’s Target Asian Games Group (TAGG) scheme and training assistance helped her prepare for the Asian Games.

Tariyal has also spoken about what combat sports mean beyond medals. She hopes her journey encourages more young women to take up martial arts and develop confidence and self-defence skills. Her own story, from taking up judo as a teenager to reaching the Asian Games podium at 36, has become an important part of that message.

Her historic bronze also gives Indian MMA greater visibility. The sport has been growing in the country, with more athletes competing at national and international levels, but an Asian Games medal provides a new milestone.

Tariyal may have missed the final by the smallest of margins, but she leaves Aichi-Nagoya with a place in Indian sporting history. Her bronze is not only India’s first Asian Games MMA medal but also the first podium finish for an Indian athlete in a sport making its debut at the Games.