Historic bronze for Slovakia: Michal Kuzma claims first senior men’s IMMAF World Championship medal
Four fights in four days, a move up of nine kilos and a semi-final decided by a single round. Michal Kuzma has won bronze at the 2026 IMMAF World Championships in Tbilisi – the first senior men’s medal in Slovakia’s IMMAF history.
Kuzma competed in the senior men’s Super Lightweight division (74.8 kg) at the IMMAF World Championships, held in the Georgian capital from 1 to 7 November 2026. He originally entered at 65.8 kg, his natural weight, yet reached the podium against physically bigger opponents in a division nine kilos heavier.
The road to the podium
| Round | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Round of 32 | Gian-Carlo Torino (South Africa) | Win – KO, round 2 |
| Round of 16 | Nikola Kukuličić (Montenegro) | Win – submission (triangle choke), round 2 |
| Quarter-final | Azizbek Karimov (Uzbekistan) | Win – split decision (29–28, 29–28, 28–29) |
| Semi-final | Paixão José Samilonga (Angola) | Loss – unanimous decision (3× 28–29) – bronze |
Kuzma opened the tournament with a clean second-round knockout of South Africa’s Gian-Carlo Torino, then finished Montenegro’s Nikola Kukuličić with a triangle choke, also in the second round. In the quarter-final he edged Uzbekistan’s Azizbek Karimov – who had earlier eliminated Ireland’s Ucha Nadirashvili and England’s Mason Yarrow – on a split decision to secure a place among the world’s best four.
A semi-final worthy of a professional card
His fourth bout in four days was against Angola’s Paixão José Samilonga, who had beaten Finland’s Joni Vesa, Lithuania’s Nojus Zakarauskas and England’s Alfie Greener. The fight went the full three rounds at a high pace, with hard exchanges and no let-up from either man. All three judges scored it 29–28 for Samilonga – one round was the difference between a final and a bronze medal.
A historic first for Slovakia
Until now Slovakia had no senior men’s medal from IMMAF championships. The country’s only previous men’s medal was a junior bronze won by Matúš Harant (Gladiators Team Gym Partizánske) at the 2026 IMMAF European Championships in Belgrade. Kuzma receives his medal in Tbilisi on Saturday 7 November 2026.
What they said
“I’ll admit that even in the second round I thought I was fighting some blond Russian. Of course it hurts – I was really just a step away from the final. But I’m very happy with what we achieved here. I want to thank my coaches, especially Vlado Lendvay and Rišo Konc, the whole team and everyone who supported me. A World Championship bronze is something I can be proud of, even if today it still hurts a bit.”
Michal Kuzma, bronze medallist, 2026 IMMAF World Championships
“An incredible fight! What Michal showed today had the hallmarks of top-level professional MMA. I’m convinced that in many renowned European promotions a fight like this would be among the best of the night. And if he returns to his natural 65.8 kg division, he will make a lot of noise there.”
Richard Konc, Slovak national team coach
“We were incredibly close to the final – it really came down to very, very little. The opponent was strong and deserves respect, but Michal put in an amazing, tenacious performance and left everything in the cage. As his personal coach, who knows his daily work and sacrifice, I’m immensely proud of him.”
Vladimír Lendvay, national team coach and Michal Kuzma’s personal coach
“I’m immensely proud of our whole team. We came to the World Championships in smaller numbers this year, but we are leaving with a result of historic importance for Slovak MMA. Michal’s bronze is the culmination of years of systematic work on Slovak amateur MMA, and it proves that this work makes sense. Today he didn’t just win a medal – he showed a whole generation of young Slovak fighters that dreams which seem far away can come true.”
Mgr. Ing. Marek Herda, Head of Delegation, President of the Slovak MMA Association and Vice President of IMMAF Europe
Built by Slovak clubs and coaches
The medal is also a reward for the clubs and coaches who develop amateur MMA in Slovakia. Slovakia’s team in Tbilisi: Michal Kuzma (senior, 74.8 kg – bronze), Samuel Krutý (junior, 61.2 kg, Spartakus Fight Gym) and Eliška Kaprálová (junior, 56.7 kg, Laugaricio Combat Club Trenčín). Team staff: Mgr. Ing. Marek Herda (Head of Delegation), coaches Vladimír Lendvay and Richard Konc.
The Slovak MMA Association is now selecting its team for the IMMAF European Championships in Belgrade (24 January – 4 February 2027). Nominations will be decided at MAMMAL 65 Special (22 November 2026, Hala Dukla, Trenčín) and MAMMAL 66 (20 December 2026, Partizánske).
Slovak version: Štyri vojny za štyri dni. Kuzma priváža z Tbilisi historický bronz · Official statement: Slovak MMA Association · MAMMAL MMA League
