Kazakh fighter Sanzhar Adilov has claimed bronze in mixed martial arts at the 2026 Asian Games, infohub.kz reports.
In the semifinals of the 65 kg weight class in the Traditional category, Adilov faced Otajon Rajabov of Tajikistan. The Kazakh lost 0:3 and finished the tournament with a bronze medal. The award was Kazakhstan's seventh medal at the 2026 Asian Games.
Later, on September 21, two more Kazakh athletes will compete in the semifinals. Yerkengali Burkitallin will fight in the 77 kg weight class in Traditional, while Kadyrbek Shinbayev will compete at 71 kg in Modern.
MMA was added to the Asian Games program for the first time in 2026. Both formats allow strikes, grappling, throws and submission holds. The main difference lies in the uniform: in Traditional MMA, athletes wear a gi, a martial arts kimono, while in Modern MMA they wear shorts and a rashguard. The gi in Traditional also allows fighters to use the clothing for grips and certain wrestling moves.
The 20th Summer Asian Games in Japan officially opened on September 19. Athletes from 45 countries are competing for 460 sets of medals: 217 in men's events, 204 in women's and 39 in mixed events. The competitions will be held across 68 disciplines in 41 sports.
Kazakhstan's national team at the 2026 Asian Games includes 559 athletes. A day earlier, the Kazakhs won four gold medals. Cyclists Rinata Sultanova and Alexey Lutsenko, along with karateka Zholaman Bigabyl and Sofya Berultseva, became champions of the Games.