MMA fighter Yerkingali Burkutalin secures Kazakhstan’s fifth gold at 2026 Asiad

Kazakhstani MMA fighter Yerkingali Burkutalin secured gold at the 2026 Asian Games in Japan. Burkutalin took on Mukhammad Nabiev of Bahrain in the final.

Burkutalin competed in the Traditional style in the up-to-77kg weight category. The decisive bout ended 3-0 in the Kazakhstani’s favor.

To reach the final, Burkutalin defeated competitors from Chinese Taipei, South Korea and the Philippines.

The Kazakhstani athlete secured the national team’s fifth gold at the 2026 Asiad. 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.

Yesterday, Sanzhar Adilov won bronze in Traditional MMA in the up-to-65kg weight category.

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 medals: 217 in men’s events, 204 in women’s events and 39 in mixed events. Kazakhstan is represented by 558 athletes in 35 sports.