The Junior World finals saw a new set of MMA stars born on the penultimate day of the 2023 IMMAF World Championships. The day was stacked with exciting results as big underdogs and IMMAF newcomers captured gold medals on the highest stage of amateur MMA.
In a rematch between last year’s finalists, Czech’s Tagir Machmudov, and Sweden’s Rafael Kveldstad. The victor of the original bout and former World Champion, Machmudov, had not been his typical dominant self in the preliminary bouts of the tournament, although he still overcame IMMAF Asia Champion Dias Osser. Kveldstad, on the other hand, had picked up one of the top submission highlights of the Championships. Facing off against Yaroslav Shulha in the semifinals, Kveldstad landed the first Von Flue choke of the tournament.
When the two clashed in the final, it quickly became apparent that Kveldstad had not rested on his laurels. The Swedish middleweight prospect put a pace on Machmudov that the former Champion was simply unable to keep up with. Kveldstad’s hard work culminated in the second round, where he was able to sink in yet another Von Flue choke, forcing the tap from his rival.
Another standout was Ukraine’s Yana Shelemba. The former IMMAF Youth medallist came into her own at the 2023 IMMAF World Championships. Having defeated the former IMMAF World Cup gold medallist to claim a spot in the finals, Shelemba found herself matched up with a veteran of the IMMAF Jr. circuit, Dinara Ayapova.
Despite the deficit in experience, Shelemba made short work of her Kazakhstani opponent, landing a stunning first-round TKO. Shelemba’s win was the catalyst for a series of victories for the nation of Ukraine. Former champions Ivan Yushchenko and Ivan Poremchuk both secured their second Jr. Worlds gold medals, with a pair of impressive performances that left no doubt to the judges.
Ireland’s Amy Scully also claimed gold, submitting Bulgaria’s Stefani Petrova with a slick triangle choke in the second round. With this win, Scully joined a small but elite club of Irish fighters training out of John Kavanagh’s SBG Ireland to become an IMMAF World Champion.
Teams Belgium, France, and Germany all managed to claim gold medals, while perennial IMMAF favourites Bahrain, Kazakhstan, and Tajikistan also found themselves with some new World Champions once the dust settled.
Tune in tomorrow for the Senior Finals, featuring hosts of fan-favourite names such as Bahrain’s Magomed Sheikhov, Brazil’s Giulliany Perea, and Tajikistan’s Otabek Rajabov. Watch the very best of amateur MMA Live at IMMAF.TV.
