Jean Claude Saclag settles for Asian Games silver

c/o POC/PSC Media

Jean Claude “The Dynamite” Saclag admitted he was disappointed after falling short of the gold medal in the men’s traditional -65kg mixed martial arts final at the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games, but said the experience has given him a clearer idea of what he needs to improve.

The Filipino fighter settled for silver after facing Tajikistan’s Otabek Rajabov in the gold-medal match. Saclag reached the final after defeating Japan’s Daisuke Murayama by unanimous decision in the semifinals. 

“Sayang talaga. Gusto ko talagang makakuha ng gold. Nag-expect ako na kaya kong mag-gold. Malungkot ako, hindi lang dahil natalo ako, kundi dahil sa performance ko,” Saclag said.

He admitted that he had expected to perform better, but found it difficult to deal with Rajabov’s strength on the ground.

“Akala ko nag-improve na ako, pero grabe ang higpit niya sa baba. Gusto kong tumayo para makabalik sa laban, pero hindi niya talaga ako pinatayo,” he said.

Saclag also recalled how his opponent acknowledged the power of his punches during their handshake after the match.

The silver medal was Saclag’s second Asian Games silver, following his finish in wushu at the 2014 Incheon Games. He said he had hoped to finally capture gold after coming close more than a decade ago.

“Sinabi ko sa sarili ko na ito na ’yung pagkakataon kong mag-gold, kasi noong 2014, natalo rin ako sa finals sa wushu,” Saclag said.

Despite the disappointment, Saclag explained that transitioning to MMA was not particularly difficult because of his background with Team Lakay in Baguio. 

His experience in wushu sanda and kickboxing helped develop his striking, but the final exposed areas of his ground game that still need work.

“Hindi naman ako nahirapan sa transition, kasi iyon naman ang background ng team namin sa Baguio. Pero na-realize ko na malayo pa ang kailangan kong i-improve sa ground game,” he said.

Saclag said he plans to use the experience as motivation when he returns to the Philippines.

“Gagamitin ko itong sakit para mag-improve pa. Kailangan ko pang husayan ang ground game ko,” he added.

He also admitted that he became too eager after the opening round, which affected his execution of the game plan. The strategy was to rely on his striking, maintain distance, and avoid being taken down.

“Expected ko na ’yung ganung laban. Ang game plan sana, strike, strike, tapos iwas. Hindi ako magpap takedown. Pero noong second round, siguro nagmadali ako dahil akala ko nakuha ko na ’yung first round, Saclag said.

Although he fell short of the gold, Saclag remained grateful for reaching the final and bringing home a medal for the country.

“Sayang, pero thankful pa rin ako. Nakarating tayo sa finals at safe pa ako,” he said.

Looking ahead, Saclag said he intends to focus on improving his ground game over the next two to three months, taking the lessons from the final as motivation for his next chapter in MMA.