Why Suchika Tariyal lost despite draw: How 700g denied Indian MMA fighter historic final and left her in tears

Suchika Tariyal (Video grab) NEW DELHI: The medal will go down in Indian sports history. However, the manner in which he arrived made Suchika Tariyal cry.24 years after a teasing episode at the age of 12 prompted her to learn to fight, the 36-year-old from Haryana on Monday became India’s first Asian Games medalist in mixed martial arts. But instead of walking away celebrating the landmark achievement, Tariyal was left shattered on the mat after the dramatic semi-final ended in a draw – with only the 700g difference in the fighters’ morning weights deciding the winner.Singapore’s Tariyal and Hui Hoon Teo battled through regulation time and another one-minute round without building a decisive advantage. The match was originally awarded to Teo. The Indian camp contested the decision, after which the result was changed to a draw.Then came the tiebreaker.MMA sports federation president Nikhil Kunde told PTI that the winner was decided based on the morning weigh-in of the athletes, with Teo being about 700 grams lighter than Tariyal. Singapore were therefore declared 2-0 winners and advanced to the gold medal, while Tariyal won the bronze.It was a particularly painful journey for Tariyal to end her gold medal hopes.She believed she had done enough to win. Teo had the better opening period but Tariyal fought hard in the second. Neither could gain a clear advantage in the extra round, although Tariyal was able to take down her opponent just as the buzzer sounded.When the final decision was announced, Tariyal struggled to contain her emotions. She broke down in tears on the mat as the coach tried to comfort her. She didn’t immediately walk over to shake hands with Tee or the umpire.The disappointment was understandable. Moments earlier, the Indian camp managed to get the original verdict changed to a draw. However, the adjusted result still did not get Tariyala to the finals. A difference of roughly 700 grams separated the two fighters in the end.And yet history has already been written.MMA is making its Asian Games debut at Aichi-Nagoya 2026 and Tariyal’s bronze is India’s first ever medal in the discipline. Her success also adds another chapter to one of the most unusual combat sports journeys in the Indian contingent.

From the 12 o’clock incident to the Asian Games podium

Tariyala’s journey into combat sports did not begin with dreams of an Asian Games medal, but with a desire for self-defense.At the age of 12, after experiencing an evening of teasing, she decided she wanted to learn to fight. She started with judo and gradually transformed the initial need for protection into a competitive sports career.Judo became her foundation. She trained at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium and later at the Dada Dev Mandir Center in Palam before honing her skills at the Sports Authority of India Center in Bhopal.The journey eventually yielded eight national judo titles and international success. She won gold at the 2019 Commonwealth Judo Championship and the 2019 South Asian Games, apart from winning silver at the 2018 Commonwealth Judo Championship. She represented India at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham in the women’s 57 kg category, narrowly missing out on a medal.But judo was just the beginning.Tariyal moved to Kurash and represented India at the 2023 Asian Games. She also took up Ju-Jitsu and eventually became the World Champion in the Adult Ju-Jitsu Contact Female 63 kg category at the 2024 JJIF Ju-Jitsu World Championships.Her relationship with MMA began earlier, with a debut victory in 2017. She then spent seven years away from the sport and continued her career in other combat disciplines.When she returned to professional MMA in 2024, she did so with the experience of a fighter who had been building different parts of her game for years.She made her professional comeback at BRAVE CF 92 in Bahrain in December 2024 and won. Her subsequent MMA career included national titles and bronze medals at the 2026 Asian Mixed Martial Arts Championships.This multidisciplinary background became central to her Asian Games campaign.

Judo, Ju-Jitsu and MMA come together

Tariyala’s MMA style was built on the skills she had accumulated over the years – takedowns, grappling, ground control and submissions.Before the Asian Games, she completed a six-week preparatory camp in Mumbai under the guidance of coaches Nikhil and Sushobhan. She talked about how her coaches will wait for her in Mumbai so that she can complete her training and continue to perfect her techniques.Her preparation showed when she stepped into the Asian Games cage.In Sunday’s quarter-finals, Tariyal defeated Mongolia’s Altanchimeg Baigalmaa 2-0 in the traditional women’s 60 kg category to reach the semi-finals. The win secured India its first ever medal in MMA as both the beaten semi-finalists claimed bronze.It was the moment Tariyal had been waiting for for years.“It took me a long time to get here. It’s a lot of hard work – first judo, then other games and now MMA,” she said after reaching the last four.On Monday, she came one step closer to turning the historic bronze into gold.Instead, the semifinals became a contest decided not just by what happened inside the cage, but by what the morning weigh-ins showed.

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A historical medal with a bitter aftertaste

What Tariyal has accomplished cannot be taken away.She became the first Indian MMA medalist from the Asian Games at the debut edition of the sport itself. At the age of 36, she added another major milestone in a career that crossed Judo, Kurash, Ju-Jitsu and professional MMA.But the circumstances of the semi-final mean the bronze is unlikely to feel complete to her immediately.The Indians’ appeal reversed the original decision. The match became a draw. After losing the opening period, Tariyal fought back to force the contest into the next round.However, the final tiebreak went against her as she was around 700 grams heavier.So a fighter who once took up judo simply to learn how to defend herself now stands on the podium at the Asian Games – but with the memory of a final that was within reach and slipped away by the narrowest of margins.Bronze is historical. Heartbreak is just as real.