Meet India’s star MMA fighter Suchika Tariyal, who showed dominance in the Asian Games 2026 by securing a bronze medalScroll down to read the full story.
Published: September 20, 2026, 11:17 AM IST
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Suchika Tariyal wins bronze medal at the Asian Games 2026
Star Indian athlete and MMA fighter, Suchkia Tariyal, achieved a huge milestone on Day 1 of the Asian Games 2026 as she secured a bronze medal by defeating Mongolia’s Altanchimeg Baigalmaa 2-0 in the quarterfinals.
The 36-year-old showed a brilliant performance in the Asian Games 2026 by showcasing her impressive skills at the grandest stageShe achieved this milestone in the Women’s traditional 60kg semifinals in mixed martial arts.
But, did you know, before achieving this milestone for India in the Asian Games 2026, she was a judo player? However, a knee injury and tough times in life had forced Suchika Tariyal to stay away from judoThe sport was very close to her and had been a big part of her lifeAt that time, she had decided to leave sports behind completely.
However, two fighters from India’s MMA community, UFC fighter Pooja Tomar and former ONE Championship fighter Himanshu Kaushik, helped bring her back to the sport“I had given upI thought, ‘Alright, it’s fine, it’s done, this is enough,” Tariyal told HT.
“Then Pooja and Himanshu forced me to try it once, saying that my skills were good and I would pick it up quicklyThese two are the ones who brought me into MMA,” she added.
She represented India in judo at the 2022 Commonwealth Games and in kurash at the 2023 Asian GamesShe also became a Jiu-Jitsu World Champion in 2024But several changes in the sports system affected her career.
In January, the jiu-jitsu team for the 2026 Asian Games was removed and the format was changedThis ended the path she had been preparing forTariyal then made another change and decided to take part in the MMA trials.
Tariyal has also spoken about the struggles she faced as a childShe said she was harassed while getting a haircut, an incident that deeply affected herThe experience made it difficult for her to trust men while growing up.
“As a child, you don’t understand what is happeningI went into depression, and I developed a hatred towards men,” she said.
“I got married in my 30s, only after meeting Kapil, because I had never met a man like him before.”
“My mother used to wonder if I would ever get married because I resented men, thinking they are all bad and untrustworthy.”
“Kapil sees that I can still do it,” she said“His trust in me makes me feel that if I had gotten all this support earlier, I could have done even better,” she added.
