Suchika Tariyal scripted a significant chapter in her combat sports career by winning a bronze medal in the women’s traditional MMA -60kg event at the Asian Games 2026 in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan.
The medal also marked India’s first podium finish at the continental Games and came in MMA’s debut appearance at the Asian Games.
Tariyal defeated Mongolia’s Altanchimeg Baigalmaa 2-0 in the quarter-finals to secure her place in the medal rounds. She then lost 2-0 to Singapore’s Teo Hui Hoon in the semi-finals, earning a bronze medal as one of the losing semi-finalists.
For the 36-year-old Haryana athlete, the achievement was particularly significant after she had previously represented India in kurash at the Hangzhou Asian Games in 2023.
Suchika Tariyal’s Early Life and Entry Into Judo
Born on August 16, 1990, in Rohtak, Haryana, Suchika Tariyal began her combat sports journey at the age of 12.
An incident of harassment prompted Tariyal to learn self-defence, eventually leading her towards judo. She initially trained at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi before moving to the Dada Dev Mandir Centre in Palam.
She later continued her development at the Sports Authority of India’s centre in Bhopal, where she further established herself as a competitive judoka.
Suchika Tariyal’s Judo Career
Judo became the foundation of Tariyal’s career and helped develop the grappling and ground-fighting skills that later proved valuable in MMA.
She represented India at more than 20 international judo competitions and became an eight-time national champion. Among her notable international achievements were gold medals at the 2019 Commonwealth Judo Championships and the 2019 South Asian Games.
She had earlier won silver at the 2018 Commonwealth Judo Championships and also competed at several Asian Judo Championships.
Tariyal represented India in the women’s 57kg category at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, adding another major international appearance to her judo career.
From Judo and Jiu-Jitsu to MMA
Tariyal eventually expanded her career beyond judo, moving into jiu-jitsu and mixed martial arts.
In 2024, she won gold in the Adults Ju-Jitsu Contact Female -63kg category at the JJIF Ju-Jitsu World Championships.
Her association with MMA, however, began much earlier. Tariyal made her MMA debut in 2017 and won her first fight before taking a seven-year break from the discipline to focus on judo and jiu-jitsu.
Explaining the transition, Tariyal said judo had given her a strong foundation in grappling and ground fighting, while MMA required her to develop her striking and standing game.
She returned to professional MMA in 2024 after signing a multi-fight deal with BRAVE Combat Federation. Her comeback fight came at BRAVE CF 92 in Bahrain in December 2024, where she secured a victory.
Tariyal subsequently won gold at the first two MMA-SFI National Championships before adding bronze medals at the Asian Mixed Martial Arts Championships in January and May 2026.
Suchika Tariyal’s Second Asian Games Opportunity
The Asian Games 2026 marked Tariyal’s second appearance at the continental event.
She had previously competed in kurash at Hangzhou 2023. However, her campaign did not produce the result she had hoped for.
Ahead of the Aichi-Nagoya Games, Tariyal described her return to the Asian Games as a second opportunity. She said her preparation for Hangzhou had not been adequate and that she was entering the MMA competition with stronger preparation and experience.
Her preparations received support through the Sports Ministry after she was included in the Target Asian Games Group scheme.
Suchika Tariyal Wins India’s First Asian Games 2026 Medal
Tariyal began her Asian Games 2026 MMA campaign with a quarter-final victory over Mongolia’s Altanchimeg Baigalmaa.
The Indian won the bout 2-0, securing her place in the semi-finals and guaranteeing herself a medal because both losing semi-finalists were awarded bronze.
In the semi-final, Tariyal faced Singapore’s Teo Hui Hoon but was defeated 2-0.
The result earned Tariyal a bronze medal in the women’s traditional MMA -60kg category and gave India its first medal of the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.
The achievement also carried added significance because MMA made its Asian Games debut at the 2026 edition.
What Suchika Tariyal Said After Winning Bronze
Following her medal-winning performance, Tariyal spoke about the effort invested by her coaches and family throughout her career.
She said the medal was particularly meaningful because of the sacrifices made by her family and the hard work put in by her coaching team.
For Tariyal, the bronze represented the culmination of years spent competing across multiple combat sports and a return to the Asian Games podium after her experience in kurash at Hangzhou.
Suchika Tariyal Beyond Combat Sports
Tariyal’s career has extended beyond competitive combat sports.
She has appeared on television and streaming shows including MTV Roadies and India’s Ultimate Warrior on Prime Video, while also building a social media presence.
Outside sport, Tariyal has served as a head constable with the Central Industrial Security Force. She later joined the Haryana Department of Sports as a junior coach.
Her career has therefore combined competitive sport, government service, coaching and television appearances.
Conclusion
Suchika Tariyal’s bronze at the Asian Games 2026 represents another milestone in a career built across multiple combat disciplines. From starting judo at the age of 12 to competing internationally in judo and kurash, winning a world-level jiu-jitsu title and returning to professional MMA, Tariyal has continued to broaden her sporting career.
Her bronze in Aichi-Nagoya also gives her a different Asian Games story from the one she experienced in Hangzhou three years earlier, turning her second appearance at the continental event into a medal-winning campaign.