By OCA Young Reporter Zaynab Kawtharani
Nagoya, Japan, September 22, 2026: Kazakhstan’s Yerkingali Burkutalin captured the men’s traditional 77kg mixed martial arts gold medal at the 20th Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026 on Tuesday.
Burkutalin defeated Bahrain’s Mukhammad Nabiev 3–0 in the final at Nagoya City Inae Sports Center, completing a campaign built on months of intensive preparation.
“Last year, we learned that mixed martial arts would be included in the Asian Games. Since September, we have been training and competing in Kazakhstan,” Burkutalin said.
The Kazakh athlete also competed in licensed Asian events in China and Tashkent as part of his preparations for the Games.
“We worked extremely hard with our coach, both during training and at home. I am very happy,” he said.
Burkutalin said his focus in the final was on displaying the strongest parts of his game and executing the skills developed throughout his training.
“I tried to perform at my best, show everything I could do and demonstrate my strengths,” he said.
Burkutalin began practising mixed martial arts in 2019 after previously training in boxing. His overall martial arts journey has now lasted approximately seven years.
Nabiev received the silver medal, while Carlos Alvarez of the Philippines and Syimyk Zhanybek Uulu of Kyrgyzstan secured the bronze medals.