As you all know, the European team from World Championship in weight categories are ready. We will take a look into the different categories, who the athletes are, and what we can expect looking forward to the 7th Weight World Championships in Poland 2022. As always: women first.
Lili Mező took the European Podium with storm. Into the senior categories in 2019, challenging not only strong fighters, but even taking on the absolute top fighters of Europe. 3rd place in the EC weight category in Vilnius 2019. Only month later, the first (senior) EC tittle was a fact, EC Open Weight. Once again, taking on EC champions – and being the one taking the tittle. 2021 – 2nd in the EC weight category and once again EC Open Weight champion. Sharp Technically, and physically – the future will be very interesting!
Some old clips from The European Championship in 1998, held in Oradea, Romania. At the time, the women fought their EC in weight categories, as in the men’s division it was the Open-weight and Kata.
Two of the toughest heavyweight fighters out of Europe, for the most of us no introduction needed. But some may wonder, and these two fighters challenged the very best in the world. Reaching top 4 six times in World Championships Open and with weight categories. What happen when they fought each other?
Back in 1991 these two fighters fought each other in a five single match event. Two profiled strong fighters who had similar path in their fighting-life, going trough Karate, into other styles as K-1 and MMA. This fight was held in 1991 – Karate Fullcontact – and a classic battle between strength and technique – top spirit crowning it all.
Two masters of the fight game, and as we know (now) both world champions. This fight from 1996, is probably less known than the fight the year after, when the met in the final of the 1st World Cup (World Championship in weight categories) The fight we got now is the semifinal of the 28th All Japan Open..
First fight of the second day in the 10th World Karate Championship. (4th round) Valeri Dimitrov /Bulgaria vs Nazar Nasirov / Russia. All knew the capacity of Dimitrov, and one could assume the favorite mark glowing on Dimitrov’s back, but rumors of the young Russian fighter, and his high level had begun to reach all supporters of full contact Karate.
A trip back to 2007, and the 9th World Open Championship. At the second day of the tournament, Dimitrov and Gudauskas face each other. Valeri Dimitrov with victories over Jimme Collin / Sweden, Zsolt Balogh / Hungary earlier this day, as Gudauskas recently had a notable win over reign World Champion Suzuki / Japan, and before that Aristotelis Melikiadis / Greece.
European Championship in Denmark, 1999. At this time the EC had only three categories in the men division – and these fights are from the heaviest category. We can also give you Allahverdi Rustamov (Azerbaijan) vs Niklas Ollvid (Sweden) The Swede made it to the top 16 later same year in the world championship.
Popova entered the European Championship podium back in 2017, 3.place in a very hard category. 2018 – the first EC tittle is a fact – in the open-weight category. No one can match Deleva’s incredible drive and intensity. -not the year after either, EC weight category tittle after a win in the final against Magdalena Gustaitytė. Representing Bulgaria in the 12th World Championship in 2019. EC champion 2021, 3rd place in the World Championship in weight categories and winning the EC Open Weight in 2022, and with that qualifies once again to the world championship in 2023
