site.bta10 Medals, Including One Title, for Bulgaria at European U18 MMA Championships

Bulgaria won one gold, three silver and six bronze medals at the European U18 Mixed Martial Arts Championships in Belgrade, reinforcing its status as one of the top MMA nations in Europe.

Bulgarian MMA Federation President Stanislav Nedkov commented: "We are a young federation, just 12 years old. We learn as we go. Ten medals won amid tough competition among 1,000 fighters from 36 countries is a great success for Bulgaria and our federation."

On Tuesday, the last day of the U18 championships, Bulgaria earned one gold and two bronze medals. Martin Petkov grabbed the European title at 77.1 kg after five compelling wins over entrants from Hungary, Slovenia, Ireland, Italy and Ukraine. This is Petkov's second European title after the one he received in 2024. In addition to being a two-time European champion, he is also 2023 world champion for cadets.

After an outstanding performance, Dobromir Ivanov (93 kg) prevailed over opponents from Ukraine and Romania, but fell short of reaching the final after losing at the hands of Italy's Luigi Marletta, and received the bronze.

In the heaviest weight class (120 kg), Demis Tairov also won the bronze. A fourth Bulgarian, Georgi Savov, placed fifth at 83.9 kg.

The European MMA Championships for men, women and under-21 youth will begin in Belgrade on Wednesday. Twenty-one Bulgarian fighters will take part in the competition.