The Vietnam Mixed Martial Arts Federation honors the MMA team for their outstanding achievement at the 33rd SEA Games.

On the morning of December 16th, in Hanoi, the Vietnam Mixed Martial Arts Federation solemnly held a ceremony to meet, honor, and award the Vietnamese MMA team in recognition of their outstanding achievements at the 33rd Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games 33).

The ceremony was an opportunity for the Federation to commend the courageous fighting spirit, unwavering determination, and tireless efforts of the team leaders, coaching staff, and athletes – those who have brought glory to Vietnamese sports , while also affirming the increasingly solid position of Vietnamese MMA in the regional arena.

The Vietnam Mixed Martial Arts Federation awarded prizes to the coaching staff and athletes of the MMA team for their outstanding achievements at the 33rd SEA Games.

Attending the ceremony were Mr. Ngo Duc Quynh – President of the Vietnam Mixed Martial Arts Federation; Mr. Dao Gia Bao – Standing Vice President of the Federation; Mr. Vu Hai Quan – Head of the Finance and Sponsorship Committee; Mr. Dao Ngoc Tuoc – Head of the External Communications Committee of the Federation, along with numerous officials and staff from various departments under the Federation.

At the 33rd SEA Games held in Bangkok (Thailand) from December 8th to 12th, 2025, the Vietnamese MMA team will participate with the following members: team leader Tong Thi Ngoc Hoa, head coach Mai Thanh Ba, coaches Phan Anh Yen and Nguyen Duc Trung, and athletes Tran Ngoc Luong, Quang Van Minh, Pham Van Nam, Duong Thi Thanh Binh, Nguyen Vu Quynh Hoa, and Le Ngoc Thu.

With serious and scientific preparation and a high level of determination, the Vietnamese MMA team performed excellently, winning a total of 2 gold medals, 1 silver medal, and 2 bronze medals. The two gold medals were won by Tran Ngoc Luong (men's 60kg modern) and Quang Van Minh (men's 65kg modern). The silver medal was won by Duong Thi Thanh Binh in the women's 54kg traditional category, while the two bronze medals went to Nguyen Vu Quynh Hoa (women's 60kg modern) and Pham Van Nam (men's 56kg traditional).

Speaking at the ceremony, Mr. Ngo Duc Quynh – President of the Vietnam Mixed Martial Arts Federation – congratulated and acknowledged the efforts and contributions of the entire team, while affirming that the achievement at the SEA Games 33 is clear evidence of the Federation's correct direction in training, coaching, and developing MMA athletes.

Following the 33rd SEA Games, the Vietnamese MMA team will continue preparing for major tournaments in 2026.

Mr. Ngo Duc Quynh emphasized that the awards ceremony is a well-deserved recognition of the team's tireless efforts, and also demonstrates the Federation's concern, support, and responsibility for the training, competition, and development of athletes.

"The achievement of the Vietnamese MMA team in the first time that mixed martial arts was included in the Southeast Asian Games – SEA Games is a very proud result. This achievement has affirmed the competitive spirit, professional level, and dedication of the athletes, and also reflects the serious and systematic preparation of Vietnamese MMA. The Vietnam Mixed Martial Arts Federation highly appreciates the determined, honest, and noble fighting spirit of the entire team, thereby contributing to raising the status and image of Vietnamese mixed martial arts in the regional arena," said Mr. Ngo Duc Quynh.

To promptly motivate and encourage the competitive spirit, the Vietnam Mixed Martial Arts Federation decided to award 200 million VND for each gold medal, 60 million VND for each silver medal, and 30 million VND for each bronze medal. In addition, the team's leadership and coaching staff of the Vietnamese MMA team were also awarded 100 million VND to recognize their silent but crucial contributions to the team's success at the 33rd SEA Games.

Sharing his feelings at the ceremony, athlete Quang Van Minh said that the entire team's preparation for the 33rd SEA Games was only about a month and a half. The biggest difficulty for the athletes was the weight loss process, as consecutive matches required them to maintain their weight for a long period, significantly affecting their physical fitness and health. Despite this, entering the competition, the athletes all showed a high level of determination to bring glory to the nation.

"When I entered the competition, I didn't overthink things; I just proactively launched a series of attacks, giving my opponent no chance to retaliate, forcing the referee to intervene. In the first round of the final, I threw many punches, but the referee didn't stop me. In the second round, I continuously threw punches, giving my opponent no chance to retaliate, resulting in a knockout that forced my opponent to give up, and the referee had to intervene. I am truly very happy and delighted to have won the gold medal," shared Quang Van Minh.

For his part, athlete Tran Ngoc Luong also expressed his strong determination in upcoming tournaments: "During the competition, I clearly felt the desire to win and the team spirit. My only goal is to fight with all my might, regardless of whether the opponent is strong or weak, or whether they are the home team or not. Whenever the country needs me, I am always ready to go and compete to bring glory to Vietnam."

Following the 33rd SEA Games, the coaching staff and athletes of the national team will focus on two main goals: the Asian Games (ASIAD) to be held in Japan and the 2026 Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games (AIMG 2026), tentatively scheduled to take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia next year. MMA will be included as an official competition in both events. Therefore, preparations are underway.

According to head coach Mai Thanh Ba, the team's success at the 33rd SEA Games can be seen as a stepping stone towards achieving goals in 2026. With the achievements already made, the coaching staff and athletes will be even more determined to aim for international tournaments next year.

Source: https://bvhttdl.gov.vn/lien-doan-vo-thuat-tong-hop-viet-nam-vinh-danh-doi-tuyen-mma-dat-thanh-tich-xuat-sac-tai-sea-games-33-20251216143800115.htm