Suchika Tariyal may have lost her semifinal bout at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, but MMA wrestler Varun Sanyal has firmly stood by her, saying he was convinced she had done enough to advance despite the judges ruling against her on 21 September. Tariyal's bronze medal nonetheless made her the first Indian athlete to win a medal in mixed martial arts at the Asian Games.

A Controversial Semifinal Decision

Tariyal was narrowly beaten by Hui Hoon Teo of Singapore in the women's traditional -60kg event semifinal on Monday, ending her bid for gold. The defeat came as a sharp contrast to her dominant 2-0 victory over Mongolia's Altanchimeg Baigalmaa in the quarterfinals on Sunday, which had raised expectations of a podium finish at the highest level.

'I was quite confident that she won. I was sitting with a bunch of people, including PT Usha ma'am who also thought that she had won. But hey, what can you do? Sometimes decisions aren't in your favour, it's in the judge's hands,' Sanyal said. The 36-year-old Tariyal was visibly upset following the announcement, according to reports from the venue.

Historic Bronze for Indian MMA

Despite the semifinal heartbreak, Tariyal's bronze is a landmark moment — mixed martial arts is making its Asian Games debut at Aichi-Nagoya, and she has written herself into Indian sporting history as the first medallist in the discipline at this level. Sanyal was emphatic in urging the country to recognise the achievement. 'She has won a bronze and the whole country should still be proud of her,' he said.

This follows India's medal haul at the Asian Youth Games last year, which Sanyal cited as evidence of the sport's rising trajectory on the continent.

What Indian MMA Needs Next

Sanyal used the occasion to call for deeper institutional support, outlining what he sees as the critical building blocks for the sport's future. He stressed the need for proper government funding and official recognition for the sport's governing body, the Mixed Martial Arts Sports Federation of India (MMASFI).

'First things first, I think that proper government funding needs to start coming in. Proper recognition needs to be given to the body, the federation that has brought us here, the MMASFI. I think that's critical because from there you can build grassroots programmes,' he said. Sanyal also noted that without structural support, India risks losing coaches and talented athletes to overseas academies.

He acknowledged that PT Usha, in her capacity as a sports official, 'has been quite receptive' to understanding the sport, calling it an 'uphill battle' to build broader awareness since MMA's inclusion in the Asian Games calendar.

Sanyal Focuses on Professional Career

Sanyal also reflected on his own campaign at these Games, which he described as 'a bit messy', without elaborating. He turned professional in June 2026 and said he is now focused entirely on that path. 'We move on. I turned professional recently in June and I think we just keep going on with that and keep making a name for myself in the sport and hopefully inspire millions of Indians like myself,' he said.

With Tariyal's historic bronze now on the board, Indian MMA heads into its next phase with both a milestone to celebrate and a clear roadmap of what the sport's stakeholders say it urgently needs.