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Who is Suchika Tariyal? India’s MMA medal hope

By Sohail Khan 20 September 2026, 11:06 am

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Business News›News›Sports›Other Sports›Who is Suchika Tariyal? From self-defence to assuring India an Asian Games medal in MMA

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Who is Suchika Tariyal? From self-defence to assuring India an Asian Games medal in MMA
Synopsis

Suchika Tariyal secured an Asian Games medal in MMA on Sunday. She advanced to the semifinals after defeating Mongolia's Altanchimeg Baigalmaa. Her combat sports career began with Judo and evolved through Ju-Jitsu. Tariyal also achieved success in professional MMA after a seven-year break. She previously served in public service and sports administration roles.

From self-defence to Asian Games podium: Suchika Tariyal's remarkable combat-sports journey

At age 12, Suchika Tariyal began practicing Judo to learn self-defense following an incident of eve-teasing. More than ten years later, that choice led her to the Asian Games podium, where she clinched India's opening medal at the Aichi-Nagoya Games.

Suchika beat Mongolia's Altanchimeg Baigalmaa to advance to the semifinals of the women's traditional 60kg MMA (mixed martial arts) event on Sunday. The victory guaranteed her a medal and added another milestone to her distinguished combat-sports career.

Baigalmaa launched an aggressive assault in the second and final round to turn the fight around, but Suchika's defense stood strong under heavy pressure. As her opponent kept pushing forward, Suchika executed a key reversal, took Baigalmaa to the canvas, and retained control until the final bell to secure the win.

However, Judo was merely her starting point. Suchika later transitioned to Ju-Jitsu and attained the top spot in the sport in 2024, taking gold in the Adults Ju-Jitsu Contact Female -63 kg division at the JJIF Ju-Jitsu World Championships.

Also read: Asian Games: Typhoon put people off opening ceremony, official says

Shifting into MMA marked another progression in her combat sports journey. She made a victorious MMA debut in 2017 before stepping away from the sport for seven years to focus on Judo and Ju-Jitsu competition.

In December 2024, she made her return to professional MMA at BRAVE CF 92 in Bahrain after securing a multi-fight deal with BRAVE Combat Federation, opening a new chapter in her fighting career.

Outside of athletic competition, Suchika has established a professional background in public service and sports administration. She was hired as a Head Constable in the CISF and later served as a Junior Coach with the Department of Sports, Haryana.

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Suchika TariyalMMA (mixed martial arts)Indian sportsJudowomen's combat sportsHaryana sportsBRAVE Combat Federationasian games athletics

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