On 20/11/2025, early in the morning, we departed from Alicante airport for another tournament, this time in Lithuania, where the Lithuanian Open Championships were to take place in the town of Vilkaviškis.
Around 3:30 PM Lithuanian time, we landed at Kaunas airport and were taken to the hotel.
We spent the rest of the day resting, exploring the town, and visiting the venue where the tournament would be held: Vilkaviškio Sporto Centras.
The next day, 21/11/2025, the registration and weigh-ins took place. Our athletes successfully made their weight limits:
- Jakub Nowakowski – -76 kg
- Mateo Gavilanes – -76 kg
- Aziddine Gaffa – -71 kg
More than 200 competitors registered for the tournament.
Later that evening, the draw and the fight brackets were finalized.
Our fighters were matched as follows:
- Fight nº 23: Mateo Gavilanes vs Jevgenij Mironcik (SFG Lithuania)
- Fight nº 24: Jakub Nowakowski vs Darius Dubickis (SFG Lithuania)
- Fight nº 61: Aziddine Gaffa vs Otmane Gagouch (Fighters Factory Lithuania)
Saturday 22/11/2025 – Fight Day
The first to enter the ring from the blue corner was Mateo Gavilanes, who faced Lithuanian fighter Jevgenij Morinciuk.
After a very even fight that was not decided within the regular time, the judges called for an extra round.
After its conclusion, the referee raised the hand of the Lithuanian fighter, declaring him the winner.
“It was a very close fight in which either athlete could have won. Mateo gained more experience and executed the tactical plan we had prepared. I am very pleased with his performance because I see how he develops from fight to fight. This motivates us to work even harder—myself as a coach and Mateo as a fighter. We know exactly what we need to keep improving.”
Next to represent our team was Jakub Nowakowski, in fight nº 24, also from the blue corner.
He faced Lithuanian fighter Darius Dubickis.
This fight also went to an extra round after not being decided in regular time.
After the additional round, the Lithuanian fighter was declared the winner.
“Jakub had a very good and tough fight. He showed excellent technical skills, especially in kicking techniques, although this cost him some stamina in the final round. Despite that, the fight was very balanced until the end. His opponent, after asking how many fights Jakub had, was very surprised to learn that this was his debut. Jakub rose to the occasion, delivered a great performance, and gained valuable experience.”
The final fight for Team ARKADIA was that of Aziddine Gaffa, who faced Lithuanian representative Otmane Gagouch.
Aziddine started from the red corner and asserted his dominance already in the first round thanks to his superior physical conditioning.
During an exchange, he landed a powerful right hook to the opponent’s eye, resulting in a referee count.
Following the doctor’s assessment and the decision of the corner, the opponent did not come out for the next round, giving Aziddine the victory.
“Aziddine once again showed that he is a very well-prepared athlete, especially in the physical and strength aspects. His punches cause significant damage to his opponents. There is still more to improve, but I am very happy that he gained more experience, won another gold medal, and we will continue working to further raise his sporting level.”
Special thanks to the organizer and promoter, Rolandas Šrubiskis.
- Aziddine Gaffa – -71 kg – GOLD
- Jakub Nowakowski – -76 kg – BRONZE
- Mateo Gavilanes – -76 kg – BRONZE
