India’s Suchika Tariyal made history at the 2026 Asian Games by becoming the country’s first MMA medallist at the continental event. But her historic campaign ended in heartbreaking fashion after a tightly contested semifinal against Singapore’s Hui Hoon Teo was declared a draw and ultimately decided by a weight-based tiebreaker.

The women’s traditional 60kg semifinal went into an extra round after neither fighter could establish a decisive advantage. The initial result was announced in Teo’s favour, prompting the Indian camp to challenge the decision. Following the challenge, the bout was declared a draw.

That, however, did not mean the two fighters would share the result. Under the Asian MMA competition rules, a tied contest can be decided through a series of tiebreak criteria.

How did Suchika lose despite the draw?

The rules first consider warnings received during the contest. If the fighters have the same number of warnings, other criteria are considered. When those factors cannot separate the athletes, their body weight from the morning weigh-in becomes the deciding factor.

That is exactly what happened in Suchika’s semifinal.

The Singaporean fighter was approximately 700 grams lighter than Suchika at the morning weigh-in. With the fight officially ending in a draw, Teo therefore won the tiebreak and advanced to the final, while Suchika received the bronze medal.

Had their morning weights been identical, the rules provide further tiebreak possibilities, including comparison of post-fight weights and, if necessary, a decision by the assistant referees.

A painful ending for Suchika

The result was visibly difficult for the Indian fighter to accept. After the decision, Suchika was seen in tears and initially did not approach the officials. Her coach eventually encouraged her to go forward as the result was formally announced.

For the 36-year-old from Haryana, the disappointment came after a strong run through the competition. She had defeated Mongolia’s Altanchimeg Baigalmaa 2-0 in the quarterfinals, securing India’s first MMA medal at the Asian Games.

Historic bronze for Indian MMA

Although Suchika missed the final, her bronze medal is a landmark achievement for Indian MMA. The sport made its Asian Games debut at the 2026 edition, and Tariyal became the first Indian athlete to win an Asian Games medal in the discipline.

Suchika has also competed across several combat sports. She represented India in judo at the 2022 Commonwealth Games and competed in kurash at the 2023 Asian Games. She later won a world title in fighting jiu-jitsu in 2024.

Her Asian Games campaign therefore ends with both heartbreak and history: a place on the podium for India, but a final-round opportunity lost after a draw was ultimately separated by just 700 grams.