Hanoi, 6 July 2026 – Vietnam has received a major boost ahead of the 2026 Asian Games after the Asian Mixed Martial Arts Association (AMMA) officially awarded the country two wild card berths for the tournament.
The allocation gives Vietnam the opportunity to compete in the MMA event at Asian Games 2026 (ASIAD 20), which will be held in Japan this September. The two places are for the women’s 54kg and men’s 77kg divisions.
According to local reports, the technical committee of the Vietnam Mixed Martial Arts Federation is expected to nominate Quang Van Minh and Lo Thi Phung to fill the two quota spots.
Quang Van Minh is one of Vietnam’s top MMA athletes, having won the gold medal in the men’s 65kg modern MMA category at the SEA Games 33 in Thailand last year. However, MMA was only a demonstration sport at the Games, meaning its medals did not count toward the overall medal standings.
Meanwhile, Lo Thi Phung claimed the women’s title at the 2026 Asian MMA Championships, held in China earlier this year, further establishing herself as one of Vietnam’s leading female fighters.
The 2026 Asian Games will mark the first-ever appearance of MMA on the official competition program. The Olympic Council of Asia (OCA), AMMA, and the Japanese organizing committee have approved six medal events: women’s 54kg, men’s 60kg and 71kg in Modern MMA, along with men’s 60kg, 65kg, and 77kg in Traditional MMA.
Although MMA is making its Asian Games debut, athletes were still required to qualify through a continental qualification process. Official qualification places were determined at the 2026 Asian MMA Championships held in May, but Vietnam did not send competitors to that event.
As a result, the two wild card invitations from AMMA provide Vietnam with a valuable opportunity to make history by competing in the sport’s inaugural Asian Games appearance.
The MMA competition at ASIAD 20 is scheduled to begin on September 20.
VSN/RPT
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