For the second consecutive year Ukraine topped the medal table at the European Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) Championships, held on February 14-23 in Belgrade, Serbia. Ukrainian fighters won 32 gold, 28 silver and 32 bronze medals in all mixed martial arts competitions and all age categories, including youth, juniors, seniors and masters competitions.
According to RDX Sports, Ukrainians made their presence known both inside and outside the cage. The atmosphere was electric as the country’s supporters succeeded in creating an electric atmosphere for the team’s athletes. Ukrainian fighters impressed with their well-rounded skill sets, excelling in striking, grappling and cage control. Their efforts contributed to a staggering 15 gold medals in youth divisions on day one. By day two, Ukraine added five more gold medals to their tally, bringing their total to an impressive 55 medals, putting them atop the medal standings. They would finish with an amazing 92 total medals, including 32 gold.
Ukraine fifth in European Judo Open
Ukraine won five medals including one gold, one silver and three bronze medals in judo at the Warsaw European Open 2025, held on February 22-23 in Warsaw, Poland, where 551 athletes from 45 countries competed in seven weight classes for both men and women. Yakiv Khammo (over-100-kilograms) was Ukraine’s gold medalist. Ukraine tied for second in total medals with Spain, but behind France’s seven medals, and placed fifth in the medal standings out of 22 nations winning medals.
Sport using military technology recognized in Ukraine
In a sign of the times, on February 26 Ukraine’s Ministry of Youth and Sports officially recognized a new non-Olympic sport that uses military technology. Competitions will be held in four areas using drones and robotic systems in air, on land, in water and cyberspace. Participants will compete in controlling drones and ground robotic systems in disciplines including racing, interception, reconnaissance, remote control and combined missions.
The Federation of Military and Technological Sports of Ukraine is already organizing events and will further develop the sport.
One of its goals is to help young engineers, programmers, drone operators and analysts develop their skills in a sports environment. Students of technical specialties will obtain practical experience with innovative technologies, according to the ministry.
It also said that military technology sports give veterans the opportunity to use their skills in new ways. Those skills can then be taught to young people, who in turn can participate in competitions and test out the country’s military innovations.
Earning official status from the Ministry of Youth and Sports should facilitate the organization of a system of competitions at all levels, including international ones that would be supported by local and state authorities. The sport will also be integrated into the curricula of technical universities and military education institutions, the ministry said.
Next steps include creating professional leagues, international tournaments and attracting investment partners to help further develop the sport.
IOC wants Russians back in international competitions
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is exerting pressure on the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) and the International Biathlon Union (IBU) to permit Russian athletes to participate in international competitions. The IOC said the successful participation of neutral athletes at the 2024 Summer Olympics shows that there are ways to allow Russians to compete.
The IOC was expected to decide whether it would allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete under neutral status at the 2026 Olympics. However, athletes who do not participate in FIS and IBU international events in the interim will not be able to earn the necessary ranking points needed to qualify for the next Winter Games.
IBU President Olle Dahlin confirmed that his organization faced pressure from the IOC while reiterating that the IBU’s decision to ban Russian and Belarusian athletes stands, and there are no plans to discuss the issue in the near future.
IOC formally accepts Bach’s resignation
On February 26 the Executive Board of the IOC announced that it had officially accepted the resignation of IOC President Thomas Bach, effective June 23. A new president will be elected on March 20 in Greece with seven candidates in the running for the position of IOC head.
Bach has been IOC president since 2013 and will have served three four-year terms. He began his career at the IOC in 1991 as a member representing his native Germany and joined the executive board in 1996, serving as vice president and chairing several committees.
He has enjoyed support from world federations that have benefited from and depend on IOC funding. He has faced criticism for courting authoritarian rulers, turning a blind eye to state-sponsored Russian doping and being reluctant to ban Russian and Belarusian athletes from participating in the Paris 2024 Olympics after Russia’s unprovoked full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
SportShorts
• Oleksandr Zinchenko (Arsenal), Andriy Lunin (Real Madrid) and Anatoliy Trubin (Benfica) are still alive in the decisive rounds of the Champions League playoffs with 16 clubs left in the competition.
• Sofia Holichenko and Artem Darenskyi won the bronze medal in pairs skating at the Figure Skating Road to ’26 Trophy on February 20 in Milan, Italy.
• Ukraine’s national women’s football team defeated Albania and Croatia by identical 2-1 scores in their first two matches of 2025 Nations League action on February 21 and 25, respectively. With four matches left in League B, Group B4, Ukraine hopes to move up to League A with continued success on the pitch.
• Ukraine’s sumo wrestlers took first place among 120 athletes from 8 countries who were competing at the West-Wiru Open 2025 Sumo rating tournament held on February 22 in Vinni, Estonia. Ukraine’s team of 16 wrestlers won nine gold, three silver and six bronze medals for a total of 18 medals.
• Ukrainian Nazar Chepurnyi won two silver medals at the 2025 Cottbus World Cup on February 19-22 in Cottbus, Germany, where 120 gymnasts representing 28 countries competed in the annual elite tournament. Chepurnyi won his medals in vault (14.216 points) and parallel bars (14.266).
• Kateryna Kotsar (gold) and Mariia Aniichyn (silver) prevailed at the Kotelnica European Cup Women’s Free Ski Big Air event on February 23 at the Kotelnica ski resort in Poland.
• Matthew Tkachuk made a guest appearance on February 24 on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon speaking about the thrill of playing in the recent 4 Nations Face-Off Cup with his younger brother Brady while representing the United States for the first time in his career.
• Ukrainian kickboxers won 13 medals, including 6 gold, 3 silver and 4 bronze, at the WAKO European Cup on February 20-23 in Plovdiv, Bulgaria.
• Tennis star Andy Roddick’s wife, social media influencer and actress Brooklyn Decker, took to Instagram on February 24 to post an image of the Ukrainian colors of blue and yellow to protest the U.S. vote with Russia, Iran, Belarus and North Korea at the United Nations against the resolution condemning Russia for its war on Ukraine.
• Ukrainian boxers won 75 medals including 38 gold, 22 silver and 15 bronze medals at the 2025 Dracula Open on February 16-23 in Braila, Romania. Competitions were held in schoolboys/girls, junior men/women and youth men/women age categories. Ukraine led the way in the youth men, women and junior women categories.
(With reporting by UNN and Ukrainska Pravda.)
Ihor Stelmach may be reached at [email protected].
