Saclag settles for Asian Games silver in traditional MMA

Jean Claude Saclag wrapped up his 20th Asian Games campaign with a silver medal in the men’s traditional mixed martial arts 65-kilogram division on Sept. 22, 2026, at the Nagoya City Inae Sports Center in Japan.

The PHL representative lost to Tajikistan’s Otabek Rajabov by unanimous decision during the grand final, as Rajabov completely took control on the ground and didn’t give Saclag any room to breathe.

It was Saclag who drew first blood on the scorecards after tagging Rajabov with a booming left hook, taking the fight upstairs and completely neutralizing the Tajikistani’s ground prowess.

However, Saclag committed a careless mistake when he pounced on Rajabov on the mat. Instead of patiently waiting for him to get up and inflict more damage, the Filipino pug bit into the trap, leading to an unexpected reversal of fortune.

In just a matter of seconds, it was Rajabov who dictated the pace after completing the wrap-up on Saclag, successfully shifting the fight from a stand-up exchange to a ground duel.

From that sequence, Saclag failed to re-establish momentum and succumbed to Rajabov’s high-level takedown game.

Saclag tried to stay away from danger and picked his moments in the second round, but the rejuvenated Rajabov found a way to lock his legs for another takedown point.

Too crafty and clinical, Rajabov capped his gold medal run with another takedown in the final round, earning a dominant 3-0 win over Saclag.

Before reaching the gold medal match, Saclag was having an impressive run after sweeping his quarterfinal and semifinal encounters.

During the quarterfinal, Saclag schooled Saudi Arabia’s Saud Fawaz Almolhem, 3-0, and replicated the sweeping feat against home bet Daisuke Murayama in the semifinal.