Kanjutha Phattaraboonsorn Won Thailand's First Asian Games Mixed Martial Arts Gold by Unanimous Decision
The former Muay Thai and jiu-jitsu world champion beat Bahrain's Diana Pogosyan three nil in the women's modern fifty-four-kilogramme final for Thailand's fourth gold of the Games.
Kanjutha Phattaraboonsorn became Thailand's first Asian Games gold medallist in mixed martial arts on 22 September 2026, beating Bahrain's Diana Pogosyan in the women's modern 54kg final at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games in Japan.
Kanjutha won the final by a unanimous 3-0 decision. Mixed martial arts is making its debut on the Asian Games programme in Aichi-Nagoya, and Kanjutha had already made history before the tournament as the first Thai mixed martial artist to earn an Asian Games quota place.
The Thai fighter brings more than nine years of combat sports experience across several disciplines. She began in Muay Thai, where she became a World Muay Thai Council champion, before moving into jiu-jitsu and winning three world titles. She then switched to mixed martial arts and has also won a world championship in that sport.
Her victory was Thailand's fourth gold medal of the Games. As of early afternoon on 22 September, Thailand had four golds and one silver, placing the country fifth in the overall standings and level with Kazakhstan on gold medals.
The mixed martial arts competition, held at the Inae Sports Center in Nagoya between 20 and 22 September, concluded with the finals. Thailand's delegation continues its campaign across the remaining sports as the Aichi-Nagoya Games continue.