Filipino martial artist Yani Alexii Lopez made another showing of her grappling prowess under the most challenging circumstances, powering the Philippine team to a second-place finish in the 2026 United World Wrestling (UWW) Asian & Oceania Grappling Championships held in Danang, Vietnam, recently.
The 16-year-old Lopez, who was forced to fight three divisions higher than her usual weight class, proved she could do it just the same.
“I am thrilled to bring another continental gold medal home to the Philippines,” two-time Asian champion Lopez said in a Facebook post.
In Danang, Lopez fought in the 57-kilogram (kg) class, three divisions higher than the 44kg division she previously competed in. But she did not disappoint, defeating Alison Mae Nicolson of Malaysia in the women’s 57kg final, 2-1, to capture the gold medal. Prior to the championship bout, Lopez defeated Malaysia’s Liyanne Hedger, 1-0, in the semifinals.
“Jumping up 3 divisions from 44kg to 57kg was an unexpected challenge, and I am blessed to take the top spot on the podium,” added Lopez, thanking her family, her parents, and those in the organization.
“Thank you to God for keeping me safe and for all His blessings. Thank you to my family, especially my parents—for your unwavering support. Thank you to Chief Alvin Aguilar for your trust, for giving me the courage to compete 3 weight classes higher than mine, and for coaching me,” she stated.
Lopez also extended her gratitude to Prof. Maybelline Masuda for “coaching me during the finals and being there for me,” Prof. Michael Sayson Tabamo “for your constant guidance and mentorship,” and coach Bill Sullivan “for rapidly improving my wrestling, refocusing me before matches, and showing my dad and me around Vietnam.”
Lopez did not forget the coach who taught her wrestling—coach Melchor Tumasis—and coach Emily Buyco for managing Team Philippines during the three-day Danang event, which featured a diverse lineup of athletes from across the region.
“Thank you to my training partners at PSC for helping me work on my wrestling. Thank you to my training partners at Deftac HQ—especially the big boys, for partnering up with me and helping me train grappling efficiently. Thanks for being my gym big brothers,” Lopez added.
Lopez was actually one of the five gold medalists in Danang, the four others being Charlie Ratcliff (56kg), Travis Ratcliff (62kg), Abe Del Rosario (57kg), and Denzel Alipio (62kg).
These five gold medals, along with two silvers won by Lucas Aguilar (66kg) and Nathaniel Nama (63kg), and three bronze medals courtesy of Alo Turingan (73kg), Lucian Salud (76kg), and Joaquin Marte (66kg), were enough to propel Team Philippines to a second-place overall finish in the team standings.
Kazakhstan won the most titles with 17 gold medals, 10 silver medals, and five bronze medals.
Follow PHILIPPINES TODAY on Facebook and Instagram, and subscribe on YouTube for the latest updates.