FPJ Exclusive | 'I Did Not Believe That I Had Lost': MMA Fighter Suchika Tariyal Hooda BREAKS SILENCE After Controversial Asian Games Loss

Indian MMA fighter Suchika Tariyal Hooda opened up to The Free Press Journal after securing a historic bronze medal at the Asian Games 2026, admitting that she was initially unable to accept the result of her controversial semifinal against Singapore’s Hui Hoon Teo. Tariyal’s campaign in the women’s Traditional 60kg category ended with a bronze after the bout was declared a draw and Teo advanced to the final on the basis of the weight tie-break rule.

The semifinal went through a dramatic turn of events after the initial decision went against Tariyal. The Indian camp challenged the result, following which the bout was reviewed and declared a draw. With the scores still level, the winner was decided according to the applicable rules using the fighters’ morning weigh-in. Teo was around 700 grams lighter than Tariyal, which saw the Singaporean progress to the final.

Speaking exclusively to The Free Press Journal, Tariyal said she was disappointed because she genuinely believed she had won the contest. “I was not satisfied with the result because I did not believe that I had lost. Had I genuinely lost, I would have accepted the result. But the rules applied during the fight went against me, even though I felt I had won. I could not accept the result at that moment,” she said.

Tariyal admitted that her immediate disappointment was also influenced by her ambition of winning the gold medal. “I had wanted to bring home the gold medal, so naturally I was disappointed. That was my first reaction. Later, after I had calmed down, I began to appreciate the bronze medal and enjoy the achievement,” she said.

Despite the heartbreaking end to her gold-medal hopes, Tariyal has created history by becoming the first Indian athlete to win an Asian Games medal in MMA, with the sport making its debut at the 2026 Games. Reflecting on the achievement after overcoming her initial disappointment, she added, “I am happy now. I congratulate everyone in the country and sincerely thank all those who supported me.”