The European Universities Combat Sports Championships 2026 concluded in Tirana following three action-packed days of Judo and Kickboxing, bringing the second competition block - and the sporting programme of the Championships - to an exciting finish.

From 14 to 16 September, university athletes from across Europe took to the tatami and the ring, competing for European university titles while representing their universities on a European level.

Judo was hosted at the Feti Borova Olympic Park, while Kickboxing took place at the University of Sports Tirana, continuing the Championships' 2+2 format that had previously seen Taekwondo and Karate compete at the same two venues during the opening block.

The wider EUC Combat Sports 2026 event brought together more than 1,600 student-athletes representing over 400 universities from 39 countries, with Judo, Karate, Taekwondo and Kickboxing being the four sports joining the participants all together in one place.

The Judo programme began with two days dedicated to the individual tournament, covering seven men's and seven women's weight categories. The men's programme ranged from -60 kg to +100 kg, while the women's competition extended from -48 kg to +78 kg, giving athletes across 14 individual categories the opportunity to compete for the title of European Universities Champion.

From the first contests on 14 September, the level of competition at Feti Borova Olympic Park was high, with athletes progressing through elimination rounds, quarterfinals, semifinals, repechage contests and medal matches. Among the champions crowned during the opening day were David Gauch, Simas Polikevicius and Tornike Mosiashvili in the men's divisions, alongside a strong group of women's champions including Fina Pamedie Katendi Nzuzi, Ioana Elena Luciana Catana and Orsolya Margit Lajos.

Day 2 continued with the heavier categories and produced another series of closely contested medal matches.  Vladimir Akhalkatsi claimed the men's -90 kg title in an all-Georgian final, while Nele Noack won the women's -70 kg competition. Other champions during the second individual day included athletes representing universities from Romania, the Netherlands and Georgia, underlining the international spread of success throughout the Judo tournament.

The individual tournament showcased the characteristics that define Judo - timing, control, explosive technique and tactical discipline - with competitors from universities throughout Europe contributing to two intense days on the tatami.

The final day brought a change of dynamic as attention turned from individual competition to the Mixed Team Tournament. Teams were composed of athletes from the same university across six weight divisions - three women's and three men's categories - making the event not only a test of individual ability, but also of university depth and collective performance.

After advancing through the early rounds and defeating the German Sport University Cologne and the Jerzy Kukuczka Academy of Physical Education, the University of Groningen reached the gold-medal contest against Leibniz University of Hanover. The Dutch university completed an outstanding team campaign with a 4-1 victory in the final, becoming European Universities Mixed Team Judo Champion. The Mixed Team competition provided a fitting conclusion to three days of Judo, celebrating not only individual performance but also teamwork and university identity.

At the University of Sports Tirana, the Kickboxing competition brought a completely different rhythm to the Championships. The programme featured four disciplines - Point Fighting, Kick Light, Full Contact and K1 Style - with Point Fighting and Kick Light contested on the tatami and Full Contact and K1 taking place in the ring. The competition programme included men's and women's divisions across 30 weight-category events, offering a combination of tactical speed, controlled technique and full-contact ring action.

Day 1 on 14 September was dedicated largely to the opening rounds and quarterfinals, as athletes began their journeys through the competition brackets. By Day 2, the stakes had risen significantly. Semifinals dominated the programme, while the first champions of the Kickboxing competition were also crowned.

The Point Fighting finals produced titles for athletes including Ela Znaor, Nurhana Fazlic, Aleksandra Georgieva, Felix Schmidl, Viktor Grozdanov, Patrik Berger and Noel Salzburger. The ring also produced its first champions, with Betul Zararsiz winning the Full Contact Women -56 kg division and Ali Osman Sirma taking the Full Contact Men -86 kg title.

On 16 September, the University of Sports Tirana became the centre of the final Kickboxing action, with title fights taking place throughout the morning across Kick Light, Full Contact and K1. 

Among the final-day champions were Mathis Nyadanu in K1 Men -75 kg, Anai Raznjevic in Full Contact Women -65 kg, Edanur Uludag in Kick Light Women -55 kg, Bayram Eren Celep in K1 Men -81 kg, Michailangelos Nikolou in Kick Light Men -74 kg, Bjarne Thoms in Full Contact Men -75 kg, Artor Mehmeti in K1 Men -71 kg, Julia Marciniak in Full Contact Women -60 kg, Izaro Blanco Picaza in K1 Women -60 kg, Andelina Videc in K1 Women -56 kg, and Jordan Bechet in Full Contact Men -67 kg.

Across the three competition days, Judo and Kickboxing offered two very different expressions of combat sport. Judo brought tactical battles, throws, groundwork and the traditions of the tatami, culminating in an exciting university Mixed Team tournament. Kickboxing combined the speed and movement of Point Fighting, the continuous action of Kick Light and the intensity of Full Contact and K1, creating three days of competition across both tatami and ring. Together, the two sports completed the second half of a Championship that had already welcomed Karate and Taekwondo earlier in the week.

Following the final Judo and Kickboxing competitions, athletes, delegations, officials and volunteers came together for the Closing Ceremony on 16 September, marking the end of the European Universities Combat Sports Championships Tirana 2026. With the final medals awarded and the last contests completed, EUC Combat Sports Tirana 2026 officially came to a close, leaving behind eleven days of competition, friendships, university pride and memorable sporting moments in Albania.

For more information about the European Universities Combat Sports Championships, please see: combatsports2026.eusa.eu