China, 11 January 2026 – Lo Thi Phung used her legs to lock in a triangle choke, forcing Mobina to tap out. The referee immediately stopped the bout just 51 seconds into the final.
Earlier in the competition, in the women’s 49kg modern MMA category, Phung had already secured submission victories over Narantur Enkhjin in the semifinals and Sausamran Thanyaret in the preliminary round.
Originally a kindergarten teacher, Phung later found her path in martial arts. The Thai ethnic fighter from Son La province was considered unbeatable in the women’s 49kg division at Vietnam’s national jiu-jitsu championships. Standing 1.55 meters tall, she then transitioned to professional MMA, earning three submission wins at Vietnam’s largest MMA promotion, the LION Championship. In August 2025, however, she lost the women’s 52kg LION title by unanimous decision to Nguyen Vu Quynh Hoa.
Phung was the only Vietnamese athlete to win a gold medal at AMMA 2026. Meanwhile, Luu Duc Manh claimed a bronze medal in the men’s 60kg traditional MMA division. Both athletes qualified for the Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games and Asian Games.
Another Vietnamese fighter, Tran Ngoc Luong, also earned an ASIAD berth after reaching the quarterfinals of the men’s 65kg traditional MMA event. Other Vietnamese competitors were eliminated earlier, including Nguyen Duc Thinh (56kg), Tran Minh Trung (71kg), Ban Van Hoang (77kg) in men’s traditional MMA, as well as Vo Le Vu (54kg women), Do Huy Hoang (60kg men), and Quang Van Minh (71kg men) in modern MMA.
The AMMA 2026 tournament took place from January 9 to 11 in Luzhou, marking the third edition of the event.
Similar to SEA Games, the Asian MMA Championships apply stricter limits on danger and bout duration compared with major promotions such as UFC, ONE Championship, or LION. Except for finals, kicks to the head are restricted. If a fighter is taken down or locked in a submission for a set time, referees may separate the athletes and restart the action standing. Matches are also held on an open mat rather than inside an octagonal cage.
Thanh Phuong
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