FILIPINA grappler Yani Alexii Lopez defied the odds and three weight-class jumps to lead the Philippine team to a second-place finish in the 2026 United World Wrestling (UWW) Asian and Oceania Grappling Championships in Da Nang, Vietnam.
The 16-year-old Lopez was forced to compete in the women’s 57-kilogram division — three classes higher than the 44kg category where she normally competes — but showed that she was more than capable of handling the challenge.