Closing in to a very special event in Georgia, with the Covid19 still as a strong factor. No doubt that the the pandemic have an impact at the tournament, but everything is set to go off as planned. The difference between how the nations have been able to prepare are huge. Some nation has not been allowed to train and do sparring, others close to normal. Anyway, we dive into the categories to take a look into the line up..

Men -75 kg 25 fighters

With 25 fighters in the category, you can look forward to long day at “the office” to be the champion. This is the largest category of the championship, and we cannot wait to throw a burning match into this bag of fireworks.

We have some real veterans, highly merited and experienced from many years of fighting. Good examples of this would be Mikheil Tsiklauri / Georgia (3 time EC Champion +) and Domas Sutkus / Lithuania (KWU World Champion runner up) In the other end, we got some young fighters, ready for the senior category – with U-21 EC tittles in their bag.

It is a point to look out for the U-21 fighters that enters the senior category. We have seen it all ready, and we will see it again, these fighters are prepared at the highest level, and they will challenge the established seniors in the tournament. In Lithuania 2019, we saw several fighters going all the way to the podium – in their first try. Of course, we want to know them better by setting the focus their way. Example from 2019 EC: Tsvetan Urumov / Bulgaria – came into 3^rd place.

Anthony Ochian / Romania, Severyn Palii / Ukraine – all EC champions 2018/19, “high-octane” fighters that will go all in from the first second.

If we, based on previous tournaments take a closer look at the top fighters – once again, several strong fighters can go all the way.  Host country Georgia, with their three fighters will be very tough to challenge. We mention Mikheil Tsiklauri, but his teammate will be at least at the same level: Lasha Ozbetelashvili. He captured the EFKO EC tittle just before the Covid-lockdown, and he will be a podium format. Third Georgian fighter, Romeo Gablaia, could be real relatively unknown to most. He has a varied fight background from several styles and organizations. Some may remember EC 2019, where he fought a very hard and long match against Justinas Kvietka in the quarterfinals. To add up: we believe a Georgian fighters on the podium, we just don’t know who.

To young very skilled fighters from Hungary, Farkas Mor Fekete (3^rd place EC 2019, and Milán Móczó (2^nd Place EFKO EC 2020) These two fighters are very good all round fighters, and have a great technical capacity. Fekete, a little more experienced and with the 3^rd place to defend. We was impressed how he could keep his fighting technical clean regardless of how long and hard the fights become. Milán Móczó reached the EFKO final with 28 fighters in the category, and that alone would be something to mention. He fought then Domas Sutkus / Lithuania in the ¼ final, and did even pull out a victory. This prove that Hungary do have the potential to reach the podium – let us see the draw!

Sweden, Ali Hayder – will be perfect in the “party” He reached the 3^rd place in the EFKO EC 2020, and on his way upwards in the category. His speed and attacks together with his good drive will be very interesting to follow. Poland – Igor Lamot. Always solid, but have not reached the EC podium yet, and as we goes through the line-up, it won’t be easy this time either! However, we will have to wait and see whom he will fight.

15 nations with 25 fighters, this will be a hard one..