MMA fighter Yerkingali Burkitalin brings Kazakhstan fifth gold at Asian Games
Kazakhstan has claimed its fifth gold medal at the Asian Games in Nagoya, with Yerkingali Burkitalin winning the MMA title in the 77kg weight category, Qazinform News Agency correspondent reports.
Representing Kazakhstan in the traditional MMA style, Burkitalin faced Mukhammad Nabiev of Bahrain in the 77kg final and secured a convincing 3-0 victory.
The 2026 Asian Games in Japan mark the first time MMA has featured in the Summer Asian Games program.
With Burkitalin’s victory, Kazakhstan’s national team now has five gold medals at the Asian Games.
The 20th Asian Games will run until October 4. Kazakhstan is represented by 558 athletes, who are competing for medals across 35 sports.
Earlier, Qazinform reported Kazakhstani karateka Bella Samasheva took bronze at the Asian Games.