Between November 30 and December 2, 2023, the National Tournament in Mixed Martial Arts among students was held in the Velikiye Luki. About 100 athletes took part in the competition: they were undergraduate and postgraduate university students aged 18 to 25. The athletes represented all the regions of Russia. The winners of the competition now have the right to participate in the Russian MMA Cup in 2024 without selection, as well as achieve the master of sport of the Russian Federation qualification.
Kirill Matveev, a first year master’s student from the Faculty of International Relations of VSU, competed in the under 61 kg weight category and took second place in a hard-fought battle. The athlete’s coach is Arthur Masalov, a senior teacher of the Department of Physical Education and Sports.
“To prepare for this tournament, I trained as usual. Although I took second place, I’m not satisfied with my results. My goal was first place,” said Kirill Matveev.
