By Rumaiza Norova, OCA Youth Reporter
Nagoya, Japan, September 22, 2026: Tajikistan’s Mirzobek Umarov made history on Tuesday by becoming the first athlete ever to
win a mixed martial arts gold medal at the Asian Games, defeating Uzbekistan’s Firdavs Atamuratov 3-0 in the men’s Modern MMA -60kg final.
MMA is being contested at the Asian Games for the first time at Aichi-Nagoya 2026, making the opening final at Nagoya City Inae Sports Center a landmark moment for both the sport and Tajikistan.
Umarov appeared to take control from the opening exchanges. He repeatedly brought Atamuratov to the ground and kept him there for periods of the contest, while also having the stronger exchanges as
the fight developed.
Both fighters had vocal support from the stands, but the Tajik supporters grew noticeably louder as Umarov established his advantage.
When the 3-0 result was confirmed, the first MMA gold medal in Asian Games history belonged to Tajikistan.
After the final, however, Umarov said the greatest challenge had not been the opponent standing across from him. “The hardest thing was the
responsibility,” he said. “I am here representing 10 million Tajiks. That is a big responsibility on my
shoulders.”
For Umarov, competing at the Asian Games carried a meaning beyond an ordinary tournament. He described representing his country on such a stage as both a great honour and a major responsibility, particularly
with MMA appearing on the Asian Games programme for the first time.
He also credited the people supporting him from home, including his coaches, team and supporters across Tajikistan. Umarov said their trust, together with the prayers of people back home, gave him
strength to secure the victory.
The circumstances made the result especially significant. As the winner of the first MMA final contested at an Asian Games, Umarov
became the first name written into the Games’ record books as an MMA champion.
Umarov said he hopes the sport’s journey will eventually extend beyond the Asian Games. “I hope and wait for MMA to become an Olympic sport,”
he said, adding that he believes MMA deserves the opportunity to progress further on the international sporting stage.
The Tajik fighter now plans to return to his professional career and pursue titles in other international leagues. But immediately after making history in Nagoya, there was someone he wanted to speak to
first. As the interview ended, Umarov smiled and said: “I’m going to call my mother.”
