How 700g cost Suchika Tariyal a shot at historic Asian MMA Games gold medal

Suchika Tariyal is now at the forefront of the Indian MMA scene as she secured a historic bronze medal in the traditional women’s 60kg category. But it was the rules that prevented Suchik from reaching the final and fighting for the gold medal.

ASIAN GAMES 2026 UPDATE 21 SEPTEMBER

Suchik defeated Singapore’s Hui Hoon Teo in a contest that had fans on the edge of their seats. Suchika and Teo brought their A-game today and the opening exchanges showed why it will be a tough one for the judges to decide. Suchika used her judo game to perfection, knocking her opponent down and landing heavy blows. However, Teo was able to control the match with her superior boxing.

The first round went in favor of the Singaporean star, so Suchika needed a comeback. And she did just that in the second round. Towards the end of the round, the Indian star was able to knock her opponent down again and was able to control her to gain the advantage. Unlike the first one, she was unable to grab Theo’s arm.

However, she won the round, meaning the fight went to a one-minute overtime. Here Teo controlled the fight as Suchika tried her best to land a few punches but to no avail.

Suchika was visibly emotional when the result was announced and was not happy with the result. She did not join the referee and Theo in the middle in protesting the result.

HOW DO THE RULES STATE SUCHIKA?

Soon after the bout ended, the MMA Federation stepped in to protest the result and pay US$1,000 to change the result from a loss to a draw. Usually you only have three judges to decide the fight, but there are actually 10 in total.

The jury watched the video and decided that the result was a draw. But then the rules kicked in and it was decided that Teo won the match because she was 700g lighter than Suchika.

WHAT DO THE RULES SAY?

Asian MMA rules clearly state what happens in the event of a tie in overtime. The winner will be determined by first checking if any of the athletes received any warnings during the game.

If both athletes have received the same number of warnings, the advice they received will be taken into account. If the advice given to both athletes is also the same, their pre-competition weights will be compared.

If their pre-competition weights are the same, their post-competition weights will be taken into account. If they are also the same, the three assistant referees will raise their flags and decide the winner.

In this case, 700g proved to be a turning point for Suchika as she missed out on the finals as Teo won the Break Tie by Weight match.

But the 36-year-old, whose journey of resilience will be, is something to be proud of inspiration for budding talents in Indian MMA.

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Published on:

21 Sep 2026 11:25 IST