Vietnamese mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter Lo Thi Phung, a former kindergarten teacher, has achieved a significant milestone by securing a gold medal at the recent Asian AMMA (Asian Mixed Martial Arts) Championships held in China. Her dominant performance culminated in a decisive victory over Iranian opponent Akbaridastgerdi Mobina in the final, compelling Mobina to surrender.
Competing in the 49 kg weight category, Phung demonstrated her prowess in the championship bout, which took place in Luzhou. The Vietnamese athlete secured the win in a remarkably swift 51 seconds, forcing her Iranian adversary to tap out, signifying surrender. This impressive final performance followed a strong showing throughout the tournament, where Phung successfully navigated through the qualification rounds and semi-finals, defeating her opponents en route to the gold medal match.
The 28-year-old athlete has a long-standing connection with martial arts, having been involved in the discipline since her high school years. During her time in school, she notably competed in national mixed martial arts championships, where she achieved remarkable success, clinching the title for three consecutive years from 2017 to 2019. However, after graduating in 2021, Phung took a temporary hiatus from professional martial arts, accepting a position as a kindergarten teacher in Lai Chau province.
After teaching for a year, Phung made the decision in 2022 to fully commit to her passion for mixed martial arts and pursue a professional career. Upon her return to competitive fighting, she initially participated in a national championship, where she once again demonstrated her championship caliber by winning a gold medal. This success propelled her into the professional MMA circuit, where she has since competed and won three times in Vietnam’s prestigious Lion Championship.
Since turning professional in 2022, Lo Thi Phung has built a commendable record in Vietnamese professional mixed martial arts, tallying 4 wins, 1 draw, and 1 loss. Her consistent performance has established her as one of Vietnam’s strongest MMA fighters. At the third AMMA competition, Lo Thi Phung was the only athlete from the Vietnamese national team to clinch a gold medal. Fellow national team member, Luu Duc Manh, also contributed to Vietnam’s medal tally by securing a bronze.
