UTMA 19 will launch one of the promotion’s most anticipated and high-stakes projects to date – an eight-man tournament for the UTMA 81 kg kickboxing championship belt and a €50,000 grand prize.
The tournament quarterfinals will take place on September 26th at the Žalgiris Arena in Kaunas. The main event of UTMA 19 features a blockbuster showdown between Sergejus Maslobojevas and Dominykas Dirkstys.
Tickets are selling fast on kakava.lt, and the PPV live stream is available at UTMA.lt.
UTMA has officially revealed all eight contenders stepping into the bracket at UTMA 19, alongside the complete tournament tree and opening-round matchups.
“We chose ‘The Eight’ format because our 81 kg division is absolutely stacked. Things certainly won’t stop with this tournament. We want to see as many high-level fights as possible, establish clear rankings, and let the fighters determine who truly is the best at 81 kg. We want to motivate young talent and the rest of the roster by showing that major prizes like €50,000 are very real here. We will continue developing this format in the future. It’s exciting to see everyone so dialed in – I personally can’t wait to see how ‘The Eight’ plays out, who takes the belt, and who claims the number-one spot in the rankings,” said UTMA CEO Viktoras Gecas.
The 81 kg “The Eight” tournament kicks off at UTMA 19 with the quarterfinal stage. The semifinals will follow at UTMA 20 on October 24th at the arena in Vilnius, before the grand finale culminates at UTMA 21 on November 28th at the Žalgiris Arena in Kaunas.
On the right side of the bracket, Oskaras Buinickas (0-2-2 UTMA) meets promotional newcomer Rodrigo Mineiro (0-0 UTMA) in the opening quarterfinal.
Buinickas made his debut at UTMA RISING 1, displaying continuous growth and a committed approach inside and outside the ring, earning his spot in this tournament.
Mineiro joined UTMA this May by signing a long-term agreement. The Brazilian fighter is already well-known to Baltic combat sports fans, having headlined major arena shows across Lithuania and neighboring capitals. Beyond his striking skills, Mineiro has built a reputation for high-voltage showmanship and an unpredictable presence before and during fight night.
“Even though Buinickas has three UTMA appearances and hasn’t secured a win yet, he has proven he belongs with our top fighters. We believe this is a fascinating matchup. Mineiro comes in from another promotion for his first major UTMA test. It’s going to be a completely unpredictable quarterfinal – neither guy has anything to lose, and both will fight tooth and nail for a semifinal spot,” Gecas commented.
The second quarterfinal on the right side features Deividas Jemeljanovas (3-1, 1 KO UTMA) taking on Arnoldas Misiūnas (3-3-2 UTMA).
Jemeljanovas debuted in 2024 at UTMA 9 with a win over Rytis Vaitkevičius, followed by a knockout victory against Evaldas Beleišis at UTMA RISING 1. His sole promotional defeat came at UTMA 13 against Isa Gocmen. Jemeljanovas rebounded strongly at UTMA 18, edging out Raimondas Aukštikalnis in a gritty contest before signing his long-term deal.
Misiūnas has been competing under the UTMA banner since UTMA 3, known for several iconic rivalries: three bouts against Dovydas Rimkus, two against Dominykas Dirkstys, and two against Oskaras Buinickas.
“Misiūnas continues to show true warrior spirit, accepting every challenge UTMA puts in front of him. He steps in against arguably the favorite of this matchup – Jemeljanovas. In my eyes, Deividas is one of the top contenders to win the entire tournament,” noted Gecas.
On the left side of the bracket, Tomas Banskis (4-0, 3 KOs UTMA) collides with the long-awaited debutant Savvas Kagkelidis (0-0 UTMA).
Having recently relocated his camp to Number One Fight Club in Palanga, Banskis is a familiar name to UTMA fans. He debuted at UTMA 7, stopping Nedas Mikalauskas via TKO in just 92 seconds. Banskis finished each of his first three opponents in the opening round, going the distance for the first time at UTMA 18 against Edvinas Šimonutis.
Kagkelidis was originally slated to debut against D. Dirkstys at UTMA 16, but was forced to withdraw due to a last-minute illness. The Greek fighter brings extensive professional experience and multiple WAKO gold medals to his official promotional bow.
“Banskis is in for a massive test against an elite Greek striker competing in his natural weight division. It will be exciting to see experience versus youth, with one of UTMA’s brightest prospects facing a seasoned international champion,” Gecas said.
Closing out the left side of the bracket is a clash between Isa Gocmen (1-1, 1 KO UTMA) and Ričardas Kulis (1-0, 1 KO UTMA).
Gocmen debuted at UTMA RISING 1 in an 84 kg bout against Naglis Kanišauskas. Once dropping to his natural 81 kg division, the Turkish standout put on a masterclass at UTMA 13, knocking out D. Jemeljanovas in the third round to stake his claim as a top-tier contender.
Kulis has made one appearance in the UTMA ring, delivering a second-round TKO victory over Mindaugas Narauskas at UTMA 16.
“This is a quarterfinal that needs no introduction. UTMA fans know both athletes well. Their aggressive, explosive styles make this matchup arguably the most volatile fight of the opening round,” Gecas emphasized.
The tournament quarterfinals take place on September 26th at the Žalgiris Arena in Kaunas, headlined by Sergejus Maslobojevas vs. Dominykas Dirkstys.
Tickets are available via kakava.lt, and the PPV live stream can be secured at UTMA.lt.
