She was teased when she was 12, it changed her life; 24 years later, Suchika Tariyal is India’s first Asian Games MMA medalist

NEW DELHI: At the age of 12, a teasing incident changed the course of Suchika Tariyal’s life.What started as a need to protect myself eventually became a journey through Judo, Ju-Jitsu and Mixed Martial Arts. And on Sunday, the 36-year-old from Rohtak broke new ground for Indian MMA at the Asian Games.Tariyal defeated Mongolia’s Altanchimeg Baigalmaa 2-0 in the traditional women’s 60kg quarter-final at the Aichi-Nagoya Games to enter the semi-finals and guarantee India at least a bronze medal.In the process, she became the country’s first athlete to secure an Asian Games medal in MMA, making her Games debut.

From self-defense to life in combat sports

The decision to pursue judo after the Eve teasing incident was never meant to lead to a career on the international stage. But Tariyal has gradually transformed into one of India’s most versatile combat athletes.She started with Judo before moving to Ju-Jitsu in 2017 and eventually MMA. Her judo career has yielded eight national titles and international success, including gold at the 2019 Commonwealth Judo Championships and the 2019 South Asian Games. She also won silver at the 2018 Commonwealth Judo Championships and has competed in several Asian championships.

Suchika Tariyal (@suchika_tariyal Instagram)

At the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, she competed in the women’s 57kg category and narrowly missed out on a medal.Her transition to Ju-Jitsu brought another big success when she won gold in the Adult Ju-Jitsu Contact Female 63kg category at the 2024 JJIF Ju-Jitsu World Championships.Tariyal made her MMA debut with a win in 2017, but took a seven-year hiatus from the sport to continue her career in judo and jiu-jitsu. She returned to professional MMA in December 2024 after signing with the BRAVE Combat Federation and winning at BRAVE CF 92 in Bahrain.“Judo turned me on to MMA, which for me is the highest level of combat sports. Judo allowed me to fight on the ground and grappling. For MMA, I only had to learn the stand-up game and striking skills. The transition from judo was not difficult. MMA is a test of all-round skills and you have to be a complete combat athlete,” she said.

The second Asian Games, a different story

The Aichi-Nagoya Games represent a second chance for Tariyal. She competed in kurash in Hangzhou in 2022, but the campaign did not yield the result she wanted.“Life gave me a second chance at the Asian Games. It didn’t go the way I wanted in Hangzhou because kurash was not popular in India and my preparation was not adequate. This time I am fully prepared for MMA,” Suchika told SAI Media.Supported by the Ministry of Sports’ Target Asian Games Group (TAGG) programme, she entered Aichi-Nagoya after winning bronze medals at the Asian MMA Championship in January and May this year.Her rise has also made her a familiar face outside of the combat sports arena. She has over 300,000 followers on Instagram and has appeared on MTV Roadies and Prime Video’s India’s Ultimate Warrior. She was also honored by the President and the Prime Minister for her international achievements and contribution to the empowerment of women.But for Tariyal, perhaps the biggest meaning of her journey is what it can mean for young women.“I really want to inspire young women to do MMA. I’ll be very happy if one girl looks at me and says, ‘If Suchika can do it, so can I.’ In modern times, women need to defend themselves and parents have to let their children do martial arts. MMA gives you this complete package. And women have a strong mindset to play martial arts. They can tolerate pain and can focus more. If a woman can bear the pain of childbirth, MMA is nothing,” she said.Now, with an Asian Games medal assured, Tariyal is focused on competition rather than success.She admitted, “It won’t be an easy fight. I don’t think about the results now. I don’t want to get under the pressure of expectations. I just want to give 100% for India. For any fighter, a medal is the ultimate achievement and I am no different.”