Harassed at 12, History at 36: Suchika Tariyal’s Remarkable MMA Journey

For every athlete, there is a moment that changes the course of their career. For Suchika Tariyal, that moment came when she was just 12 years old, after she faced a harrowing incident of harassment.

Instead of allowing the experience to define her, Suchika channelled it into sport. She took up judo, beginning a journey that would see her represent India at major international competitions across multiple combat disciplines.

Years later, at the age of 36, Tariyal has made history once again — becoming the first Indian MMA medallist at the Asian Games after reaching the women’s traditional -60kg semifinals at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan.

WHO IS SUCHIKA TARIYAL?

Suchika’s sporting journey began at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium before she moved to the Dada Dev Mandir Centre in Palam and later trained at the Sports Authority of India (SAI) centre in Bhopal.

Her decision to pursue competitive sport was not without challenges. Her family was initially worried about the difficulties and risks involved in a young girl travelling for competitions. However, Suchika continued to push forward.

She went on to establish herself as an international judoka, representing India at more than 20 international competitions. She also won the National Judo Championship eight times and built an impressive medal collection on the international circuit.

Among her notable judo achievements were gold medals at the 2019 Commonwealth Judo Championships and the 2019 South Asian Games, as well as a silver at the 2018 Commonwealth Judo Championships.

Tariyal also competed at several Asian Judo Championships before representing India at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. She competed in the women’s -57kg category and narrowly missed out on a podium finish, but gained valuable experience from competing at one of the world’s biggest multi-sport events.

Her journey across combat sports continued with Ju-Jitsu. In 2024, she won gold in the Adults Ju-Jitsu Contact Female -63kg category at the JJIF Ju-Jitsu World Championships, adding another major international title to her career.

These experiences in judo and Ju-Jitsu eventually provided the foundation for her transition to MMA.

Interestingly, MMA was not completely unfamiliar to Tariyal. She made her MMA debut in 2017 and began her career with a victory. She then stepped away from the discipline for seven years to focus on judo and Ju-Jitsu.

Tariyal returned to professional MMA towards the end of 2024 after signing a multi-fight deal with BRAVE Combat Federation in the women’s strawweight division. She made her comeback at BRAVE CF 92 in Bahrain in December 2024, securing a winning return.

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

WHEN SUCHIKA TARIYAL NEARLY WALKED AWAY FROM SPORT

Despite her achievements, Tariyal’s sporting journey has also been marked by injuries, personal struggles and institutional challenges.

A knee injury and other setbacks eventually forced her away from judo. At one point, the 36-year-old had accepted that her competitive career might be over.

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

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

By then, Tariyal had already represented India at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in judo and the 2023 Asian Games in kurash. Her 2024 Ju-Jitsu World Championship gold further established her credentials across combat sports.

But her path to the 2026 Asian Games was far from straightforward.

In January, the jiu-jitsu team for the Asian Games was scrapped and the selection process was changed, eliminating the route Tariyal had been preparing for.

Instead of giving up, she made another switch and entered the MMA trials.

The qualification process itself presented another obstacle. Eligibility rules were changed midway, requiring athletes to break into the top six of the Asian rankings. With government funding not immediately available for her trip, Tariyal paid for her own journey to the Asian Championships.

The decision proved crucial.

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

SUCHIKA TARIYAL MAKES HISTORY

On Sunday, Tariyal created a historic moment for Indian MMA at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya.

The 36-year-old defeated Mongolia’s Altanchimeg Baigalmaa 2-0 in the women’s traditional -60kg quarterfinal to secure her place in the semifinals.

The victory guaranteed Tariyal at least a bronze medal, making her the first Indian MMA medallist in Asian Games history.

Her semifinal opponent will be determined by the quarterfinal between Singapore’s Hui Hoon Teo and Iran’s Arezou Salimighalehtaki.

Having already secured a historic medal, Tariyal now has an opportunity to go one step further. A semifinal victory would take her into the Asian Games final and give her a chance to upgrade her bronze to a higher-coloured medal.