Yotam Glander won Israel’s first under-21 MMA gold at the European Championships in Belgrade, defeating his Spanish opponent in under a minute.
Israel's MMA Association celebrated a historic achievement as Yotam Glander won the first-ever gold medal for Israel's under-21 national team at the European Championships, in Belgrade, Serbia, according to a report by N12.
Competing in the 52 kg weight class, Glander's victory marked the third consecutive year he reached the finals of the European Championships.
In 2024, he won a silver medal in the under-18 division, followed by another silver medal in 2025 in the under-21 category.
N12 reported that Glander defeated his Spanish opponent in under a minute, using a rear-naked choke to take his victory.
Glander's gold win marked Israel's third medal of the championship, following earlier victories by Guy Priente and Alon Avital in the youth division. In total, Israel's teams earned 19 medals across all age groups.
Also representing the association and Israel at the competition were four Israeli international referees: Ofer Lider, Arkady Sechkovsky, Shai Ofir, and Roi Ben Shalom.
'Proud to represent the State of Israel'
Ido Priente, president of the Israel MMA Association and Glander's coach, stated, "This has been an unprecedented European Championship for Israel's teams this year. For the first time, we won three historic gold medals and a total of 19 medals, representing a significant improvement in both quantity and quality. This is undoubtedly the most successful competition in the association's history since its establishment.”
He continued, “There is no doubt that the present and future generation of MMA in Israel is flourishing. I would also like to thank Eric Kaplan and the ‘Eilat’ Association for their endless support of our activities. I am prouder than ever of Yotam's victory. I had no doubt he would win gold this year, and now we are already looking ahead to the World Championships.”
“We are always proud to represent the State of Israel around the world and will continue to do so with great pride."