A 13-year-old Tekken 8 player from the Philippines has beaten Japanese pro PINYA at Thaiger Uppercut 2026, one of the stops on this year’s Tekken World Tour.
Martinski, who competes for Team ELITE, picked up the win on the opening day of the Singles tournament on November 14, in a field of 187 players that includes some of the biggest names in the game.
Martinski beats PINYA at Thaiger Uppercut 2026
The teenager confirmed the result himself after Day 1 wrapped up in Thailand, admitting he’d had “some tough matches.”
“Glad I was able to get a win against a tough opponent, Pinya,” he wrote. “I also made a few mistakes in my match against LMG MoB’s Lars, which gives me something to work on.”
Despite that loss, Martinski is still in the tournament, adding that he hopes to “regroup, come back stronger tomorrow, and hopefully make a good run on Day 2.”
Clips of the win have since spread across social media, with fans pointing out his resemblance to Tekken’s Kazuya Mishima.
Martinski has been turning heads all year
It isn’t the first time the young player has caught the attention of the fighting game community. Earlier this year, veteran pro Kayane praised him on X, writing, “Only 13 yrs old and doing so well, the new generation is crazy. I can’t wait to see him rule the world.”
He also competed in the 3v3 event at Thaiger Uppercut the day before, finishing ninth out of 24 teams alongside teammates Magicyan and Blacklight.
Thaiger Uppercut’s Tekken 8 tournament carries a prize pool of just under $6,000 and wraps up on November 15.
