Tiffany Teo scores Singapore’s first MMA Asian Games medal with semi-final spot

NAGOYA – Mixed martial arts fighter Tiffany Teo has notched Singapore’s first Asian Games medal in the sport after booking a place in the semi-finals on Sept 20.

On her Asiad debut at the Nagoya City Inae Sports Centrs, Teo beat Iranian opponent Arezou Salimighalehtaki in the women’s traditional 60kg quarter-final bout.

The 36-year-old Singaporean, who has set herself a target of winning the gold, will face India’s Suchika Tariyal – who defeated Mongolia’s Altanchimeg Baigalmaa 2-0 in the quarterfinals – in the semi-finals on Sept 21.

With both losing semi-finalists awarded joint-bronze medals, Teo is assured of at least a medal regardless of the result.

MMA is making its debut as medal sport at the continental competition.

Teo qualified for the Asiad after claiming a silver medal in the traditional MMA women’s 60kg category at the Asian Mixed Martial Arts Championships in May.

She made her professional MMA debut in 2016, winning her first three fights before signing with One Championship, where she bore the nickname “No Chill”.

She registered an 8-2 record with the MMA promotion from 2016 to 2022. But then came a frustrating period of nearly three years during which she did not fight before her contract with One ended in 2025.

Deepanraj Ganesan is a sports correspondent at The Straits Times focusing on football, athletics, combat sports and policy-related news.