MMA fighter Kadyrbek Shynbayev wins sixth gold for Kazakhstan at Asian Games

Kazakhstani MMA fighter Kadyrbek Shynbayev won gold at the 2026 Asian Games in Japan. In the final, Shynbayev defeated Tajikistan’s Behruz Khurshedzoda.

Shynbayev competed in Modern MMA in the up-to-71kg weight class. The bout ended 3-0 in the Kazakhstani’s favor.

To reach the final, the athlete defeated competitors from Bahrain and Uzbekistan.

Previously, Kazakhstani MMA fighters secured two medals in Traditional MMA. Yerkingali Burkutalin (77kg) won gold, while Sanzhar Adilov (65kg) won bronze.

MMA is making its Asian Games debut in 2026. Both styles feature striking, grappling, throwing and submission techniques. The main difference lies in the equipment: in Traditional MMA, athletes compete in gis, while in Modern MMA, they wear shorts and rash guards. The gi in Traditional MMA can also be used for grips and certain grappling techniques.

The event’s official opening ceremony took place on Sept. 19. Athletes from 45 countries are competing for 460 sets of medal: 217 in men’s events, 204 in women’s events and 39 in mixed events. Kazakhstan is represented by 558 athletes in 35 sports.

On the first day of competition, Kazakhstani cyclists Rinata Sultanova and Alexey Lutsenko became champions. Karatekas Zholaman Bigabyl and Sofya Berultseva also secured gold medals.