Thai MMA Team Eliminated, Misses Out on Asian Games Qualifying Spot
Thailand's MMA team was eliminated from the 2026 Asian Games qualifiers after all three fighters lost at the Asian Championship in Uzbekistan, leaving the nation without any qualifying spots.
The 2026 Asian MMA Championship took place in Tashkent, Uzbekistan on the evening of May 22. In the men's under-56kg modern division quarterfinals, Krit-da Kongchaichai lost on points to Tajikistan's Komolov Siyari. In the under-71kg modern division, Sakdisit Chantrahom defeated Indonesia's Muharam Forman by submission in the round of 16, but withdrew due to injury in the quarterfinals against Jordan's Nassa Seer. In the under-85kg modern division quarterfinals, Kennet Nathan Thongsong lost on points to Kazakhstan's defending champion Sairat Sarikeev. All Thai fighters were eliminated, resulting in zero qualification spots for the Asian Games. Team Manager Tri-rat Ratnawong stated this was the final qualifying tournament, with all Asian nations sending large squads. While Thai fighters had good fortune in the first round, they faced much stronger opponents in the second round. He noted this serves as a lesson for the team to improve upon their return. The Thai delegation is expected to return home next Tuesday.
