JEAN Claude Saclag delivered the Philippines’ first silver medal in the 20th Asian Games after bowing to Otabek Rajabov of Tajikistan, 0-3, in the mixed martial arts men’s traditional -65kg final Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2026, at the Nagoya City Inae Sports Center in Japan.
“It’s a real shame. I really wanted to win gold. I expected that I could win it. I’m sad — not just because I lost, but because of my performance,” Saclag said, admitting that he had expected to perform better, but found it difficult to deal with Rajabov’s strength on the ground.
“I thought I had improved, but he was incredibly tight on the ground. I wanted to stand up to get back into the fight, but he just wouldn’t let me up,” he added.
The 31-year-old Saclag, who hails from Kalinga, advanced to the finals after winning by unanimous decision over Japan’s Daisuke Murayama in the semifinals.
“Yes, well fought. Big heart. He apologized. I said, ‘That is a rare silver.’ Be proud JC,” Philippine Sports Commission chairman John Patrick Gregorio said in a statement.
Meanwhile, Carlos Alvarez took the bronze medal in the men’s traditional -77kg division following a 0-3 loss to Kazakhstan’s Yerkingali Burkutalin in the semifinals.
The 27-year-old Alvarez defeated Indonesia’s Ananda Wahyu Setyo Prabowo, 3-0, in the quarterfinals.
Saclag won the silver medal in wushu sanda -60kg division at the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea. That same year, he bagged the gold at the World Cup in Jakarta, Indonesia.
As a kickboxer, he pocketed three gold medals in the Southeast Asian Games in 2019, 2022, and 2023.
Last May, Saclag won the gold medal in the traditional -65kg division at the 4th Asian MMA Championships in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. / PNA
