Kazakh fighter Sanzhar Adilov has become a bronze medalist at the 2026 Asian Games in mixed martial arts. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Kursiv Media.
Semifinal defeat
In the semifinal of the up-to-65 kg weight category in the "Traditional" division, Adilov faced athlete Otajon Rajabov from Tajikistan. The Kazakh lost to his opponent with a score of 0:3 and finished the tournament with a bronze medal. This award became the seventh medal for the Kazakhstan national team at the 2026 Asian Games.
Semifinals on September 21
Later, on September 21, two more Kazakh athletes will compete in the semifinals. Yerkingali Burkitallin will fight in the up-to-77 kg weight category in "Traditional", and Kadyrbek Shinbayev – up to 71 kg in "Modern".
MMA makes its Asian Games debut
MMA entered the Asian Games program for the first time precisely in 2026. Both formats use strikes, wrestling, throws, and submission or choke holds. The main difference lies in the equipment: in Traditional MMA, athletes compete in a gi – a sports kimono, while in Modern MMA – in shorts and a rashguard. The presence of a gi in Traditional also allows the clothing to be used for grips and certain wrestling actions.
About the 2026 Asian Games
The XX Summer Asian Games in Japan officially opened on September 19. Athletes from 45 countries are competing for 460 sets of medals. 217 – among men, 204 – among women, and 39 – in mixed categories. Tournaments will be held in 68 disciplines across 41 sports.
Kazakhstan's national team at the 2026 Asian Games will feature 559 athletes. The day before, Kazakhstanis won four gold medals. The champions of the Games were cyclists Rinata Sultanova and Alexey Lutsenko, as well as karatekas Zholaman Bigabyl and Sofya Berultseva.