The most outstanding highlight for the Vietnamese team at this year’s championship was the gold medal won by female fighter Lò Thị Phung in the women’s 49kg modern MMA category. Before advancing to the final, Phung delivered convincing wins over two strong contenders: Thanyaret Suksamran from Thailand and Narantur Enkhjin from Mongolia.
In the final, Lo Thi Phung faced Akbaridast Gerdi Mobina (Iran). The Vietnamese fighter took less than a minute to force her opponent to surrender. Lo Thi Phung was also the only fighter from the Vietnamese MMA team to win a gold medal at this tournament.
The results from this tournament will be used by the Asian MMA Association to accumulate points for ranking fighters before participating in the 20th Asian Games in Japan and the 2026 Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games (AIMAG 2026) in Saudi Arabia.
MMA has officially been included in the 20th Asian Games program with 6 medal events, including: men's traditional MMA 65kg, 77kg and men's modern MMA 60kg, 71kg; women's traditional MMA 60kg and women's modern MMA 54kg.
Lo Thi Phung is known by the nickname "kindergarten teacher," stemming from her profession before entering the martial arts arena. The female fighter, born in 1998, was a kindergarten teacher before deciding to move to the South to pursue a career in martial arts. Currently, Lo Thi Phung continues to care for and teach young children in charitable programs.
The 2026 Asian MMA Championship was held from January 9 to 11 in Luzhou, China, under the organization of the Asian Mixed Martial Arts Association. Vietnam sent a 10-member squad of both male and female athletes. The tournament plays a key role in earning technical ranking points for upcoming events, including the 20th Asian Games in Japan and the 2026 Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games in Saudi Arabia.
HY