Asiad: Alvarez’s gold bid ends in semis, secures bronze

Raphael Gabriele Lloren

Even the fiercest fists have limits.

Carlos “Limitless” Alvarez fell to Kazakhstan’s Yerkingali Burkutalin by late technical knockout in the men’s MMA 77kg semifinals, capturing a bronze medal during the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Sept. 21.

Alvarez ran out of steam in his bid for gold, but his bronze medal marked the Philippines’ second medal of the Asian Games following the women’s soft tennis team’s podium finish

For a fighter who had set out to finish his campaign as the best, the gold slipping away could have been all that weighed on Alvarez’s mind.

But he was quick to set those aside for a moment of gratitude.

“Maraming salamat sa mga kapamilya ko sa coaches ko lalo na sa Team Lakay sa MMA. Maraming salamat po sa mga coaches namin sa sumusuporta ng Pilipino.” said Alvarez in post-match interview.

It was in the latter stages where the gutsy Kazakh foe took advantage of a tiring Alvarez, slipped out of the losing position and punished Alvarez’s reckless forward pressures.

With the golden-medal match burning brighter ahead, he then followed up with a barrage of telling blows in the next sequences, chipping away the Filipino bet’s luxury of a lifeline until the TKO decision snapped it for good.

“Meron pa rin effects sa’kin kasi medyo malakas ‘yung pagkatukod nya [Kazakh’s Burkutalin]” said Alvarez.

Alvarez mounted as many as four takedowns to seemingly convince the Japanese crowd of a win right from the start, but that same aggression ultimately backfired as the bout wore on.

“Masyado akong nag-rush nung second round kaya ‘di ko nakita yung mga suntok at sipa nya,” the PH Bronze medalist said.

The Filipino Martial artist was assured of a podium after powering past his Indonesian foe in the quarters.

Meanwhile, Team Lakay compadre Jean Claude Saclag moved one win away from gold in his respective canto.