Asian Games 2026: MMA Fighter Teo Books Date With History as Gold Beckons

Teo wins her traditional -60kg semi-final to set up a historic gold medal clash on her debut. Photo: SNOC/ Kong Chong Yew

As mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter Tiffany Teo walked towards the competition floor at the Nagoya City Inae Sports Centre for her semi-final bout against India’s Suchika Tariyal on Monday (Sep 21), there was an air of quiet confidence about her as she nodded along to the rhythm of the music.

The debutant made her way to the far corner with a swagger in her stride, Singapore flag held aloft.

And after two rounds of trading blows, it was all square between the fighters as the tie went into one-minute overtime.

“Before (my team) knew that it was a draw, they told me to recover now, and that there might be one more minute coming up. When I heard that, I tried my best to control my breathing and let my heart rate come down.”

“I was thinking, ‘This is the time to give it all you got. Leave nothing behind. You don't want to leave the stage and end up regretting that you didn't do enough.’ So when the round started, I was ready to really just give my all and do my best,” she said.

Advice from national team coach Sim Kai Xiong helped Teo refocus ahead of a crucial decider. Photo: SNOC/ Kong Chong Yew

A late surge in the decider saw the ONE Championship two-time strawweight title contender land a flurry of clean strikes to her opponent’s face and secure progression to Tuesday’s gold medal bout.

With the sport making its Games debut this edition, a win there will be historic for Teo.

“I'm glad that I did enough to get the win because the gold medal has always been the end goal. So I came into this match determined to get the win… I met (Tariyal) in May and (beat) her there, and I knew that coming into this bout, the opponent’s team would have a very different game plan because they lost the last round.”

“Kudos to (my opponent and her team). I think they did a really great job implementing their game plan in the first round. I was caught a bit off guard at the start, but thankfully, I have a very good team behind me. My coaches were trying to help me adapt on the spot.”

With the win, the Asian Mixed Martial Arts Championships silver medallist successfully set up a meeting with Uzbekistan’s Khiola Sobirova, who won her semi-final against Cambodia’s Cheng Dalin earlier.

The clash will also be a rematch of the Asian championship final back in May, where Sobirova prevailed in front of a home crowd.

“I had a really hard experience during the Asian Championships in Uzbekistan. The area where we were was kind of away from the city, and there weren't many restaurants. The buffet that they had was food that I wasn't used to, so I didn't really eat well there,” Teo said, adding that some of the common fare in the central Asian country included pigeon and horse meat.

But in Nagoya, Teo is “feeling great and knows what to expect” of the multi-day format, adding that she is eating and recovering well.

The key to the gold, Teo feels, will be how she utilises traditional MMA’s rule set to her advantage.

And since May’s loss, Teo has been biding her time, training at world-renowned gym and Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) talent factory, City Kickboxing, in Auckland.

“I didn't have enough female sparring partners competing at a high level in Singapore. So that's the main reason why we flew to Auckland. Being there improved my game a lot because I was the smallest in the whole gym of 50-odd fighters,” she said.

Spending six weeks at the home training ground for major UFC stars, including Dan Hooker and current UFC Light Heavyweight champion Carlos Ulberg, also helped Teo to refine her technique.

“There, I couldn't just rush through certain techniques, so it forced me to adapt, and I feel like that helped me to improve as a fighter too.”

“I felt like what (Sobirova) was really great at was understanding the rule set and knowing kind of when to utilise it in a way that she doesn't get penalised. And it was something that I wasn't used to because it was my very first time competing in that rule set… throughout this camp we have been making little tweaks, playing around with the rule set, so that I can utilise the rule set to my advantage too.”

Teo held the Singapore flag over her head as she entered the arena. Photo: SNOC/ Kong Chong Yew

With a debut gold firmly in her sights, Teo was reminded of the privilege to represent her country at the Games.

“I'm thankful that I'm good enough to represent Singapore on this stage, and I try not to allow the pressure to get to me. I focus on things within my control, and I believe that by putting forth my best effort and my best skill set, it will lead me to the goal of the gold medal.”

The 20th Asian Games are held in Japan from 19 September to 4 October 2026. For the latest Team Singapore coverage and news, follow Team Singapore on their social media channels (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok) or visit the official Team Singapore website.