By Caoilte de Barra
On June 11, the 13th edition of the Italian MMA Championships took place in Rome. Almost 350 competitors entered the Championships and competed across youth, junior, and senior categories.
Furor Belli Roma was the top club at the competition, walking away with six gold medals, six silver and two bronze. The Championships also saw the return of 2019 IMMAF European Champion and World Silver Medalist Jasmine Favero.
Favero was a standout in 2019, defeating everyone in her tracks until she met Sabrina De Sousa in the final of the World Championships. The twenty-one-year-old returned to action in the lightweight division, where she defeated Margarita Russo via TKO in her only bout of the competition.
Also in action was the 2021 World Cup Gold medallist Fidel Gramiccia. His sensational run at the World Cup in Prague meant his participation at the World Championships was highly anticipated. However, he failed to secure a medal in Abu Dhabi, falling short to Pakistan’s Ismail Khan in the quarter-finals. His run at national featherweight gold saw him compete three times in one day, winning each one via decision.
Participation in the tournament was free for Ukrainian refugees in Italy. Four Ukrainian athletes competed, and each athlete won a medal. Marian Ivanuchik (Youth A Beginner Featherweight Gold), Hiorhii Dudka (Youth A Absolute Featherweight Gold), Marta Pankiv (Senior Featherweight Gold) and Vadym Dobrovolskyy (Senior Light Heavyweight Bronze) all impressed in their respective weight category at the Championships.
The competition served as a selection test for the National Team to represent Italy at IMMAF competitions. All the results from the competition can be found here.
