From Harassment at 12 to Asian Games Glory at 36: Suchika Tariyal’s Incredible MMA Journey

Every sporting journey has a defining moment. For Suchika Tariyal, hers came at the age of 12, when she was subjected to harassment.

The traumatic experience became a turning point. She took up judo, determined to build strength and confidence through sport. What followed was a remarkable journey across multiple combat disciplines, culminating in a historic achievement at the 2026 Asian Games.

At 36, Tariyal has become the first Indian MMA athlete to win an Asian Games medal after storming into the women’s traditional -60kg semifinals in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan.

WHO IS SUCHIKA TARIYAL?

Tariyal’s sporting journey began at Delhi’s Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium. She later trained at the Dada Dev Mandir Centre in Palam before moving to the Sports Authority of India (SAI) centre in Bhopal.

Her decision to pursue competitive sport initially worried her family, particularly because of the travelling involved in participating in tournaments. But those concerns did not stop her from pursuing her ambitions. Tariyal eventually became an accomplished international judoka, representing India at more than 20 international competitions. She won the National Judo Championship eight times and collected several international medals.

Her major judo achievements included gold medals at the 2019 Commonwealth Judo Championships and the 2019 South Asian Games. She also won silver at the 2018 Commonwealth Judo Championships.

She competed at multiple Asian Judo Championships and represented India at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham in the women’s -57kg category. Although she narrowly missed a podium finish, the experience added another significant chapter to her international career.

Tariyal later expanded her expertise to Ju-Jitsu. In 2024, she won gold in the Adults Ju-Jitsu Contact Female -63kg category at the JJIF Ju-Jitsu World Championships.

Her success in judo and Ju-Jitsu eventually paved the way for her move into MMA.

Tariyal had actually entered MMA as early as 2017, winning her debut fight. She subsequently stepped away from the sport for seven years while concentrating on judo and Ju-Jitsu. She returned to professional MMA in late 2024 after signing a multi-fight contract with BRAVE Combat Federation in the women’s strawweight division. Her comeback came at BRAVE CF 92 in Bahrain in December 2024, where she returned to competition with a victory.

Beyond the sporting arena, Tariyal has also served in public service. She worked as a Head Constable with the CISF before joining the Haryana Department of Sports as a Junior Coach.

THE PHASE WHEN SUCHIKA ALMOST QUIT SPORT

For all her achievements, Tariyal’s career has also been shaped by injuries, personal difficulties and changes within the sporting system. A knee injury, combined with other challenges, eventually forced her away from judo. At one stage, she had accepted that her competitive career was over.

“I had given up. I thought, ‘Alright, it’s fine, it’s done, this is enough,’” Tariyal told Hindustan Times.

She was eventually encouraged to return to competition by Pooja Tomar and ONE Championship fighter Himanshu Kaushik.

By that point, Tariyal had already represented India at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in judo and the 2023 Asian Games in kurash. Her Ju-Jitsu World Championship gold in 2024 further demonstrated her ability to compete successfully across combat sports.

However, her plans for the 2026 Asian Games were disrupted when the jiu-jitsu team was scrapped in January and the selection system was changed. With the pathway she had been preparing for suddenly gone, Tariyal decided to make another switch.

This time, she entered the MMA trials.

The road to qualification was not straightforward. The eligibility criteria were changed midway through the process, with athletes required to break into the top six of the Asian rankings. Tariyal also had to finance her own trip to the Asian Championships because government funding was not immediately available.

Her gamble paid off.

She returned from the championships with two bronze medals for India, strengthening her credentials during the selection process. Her performances eventually helped her secure a place in the Target Asian Games scheme and receive support from the MMA-SFI federation.

THE HISTORIC ASIAN GAMES MOMENT

On Sunday, years of setbacks, discipline and persistence came together for Tariyal.

The 36-year-old defeated Mongolia’s Altanchimeg Baigalmaa 2-0 in the women’s traditional -60kg quarterfinal at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya. The victory guaranteed her at least a bronze medal and made her the first Indian MMA medallist in Asian Games history.

Tariyal will face the winner of the quarterfinal between Singapore’s Hui Hoon Teo and Iran’s Arezou Salimighalehtaki in the semifinals. For an athlete who once believed her sporting journey had ended, Tariyal now stands just one victory away from an Asian Games final and the opportunity to turn her historic bronze into a higher-coloured medal.