The sixth tournament of the M13 FIGHTS veterans' bare-knuckle fighting league took place in Kyiv. This time, the organizers chose an unconventional venue: the competition was held outdoors in the very heart of the capital — on a barge moored at the river terminal on the Dnipro. A full-sized ring and podium were set up on the deck for the participants, and the fighters themselves were ferried to the venue by boat. This format turned the sporting event into a spectacular show, combining a combat discipline with the atmosphere of a river festival.
A Ten-Fight Card and a Knightly Prologue
The tournament card featured ten spectacular bouts across various disciplines. The competition was opened by fighters clad in authentic knightly armor — an unusual prologue that set the historical-combat tone for the entire evening. This was followed by a series of matches in different bare-knuckle fighting formats. According to the organizers, most of the bouts ended before the scheduled time, already in the first round, underscoring the high level of preparation of the veterans and the toughness of their style.
The Title Fight: Versatility Versus Technique
The centerpiece of the evening was the title bout in the under-77 kg weight category. Two fighters with different backgrounds clashed for the championship belt: Vladyslav "Lavruha" Lavrynenko of the 1st Corps of the National Guard unit "Azov" and Vladyslav Kravchuk of the "Triton" special unit of the GUR of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine. Lavrynenko relies on a mixed martial arts (MMA) base, while Kravchuk is a Ukrainian kickboxing champion. Thus, the main fight of the evening became a clash between versatility and pure technique.
A Third-Round Knockdown and the Golden AK-47
The title bout lasted all three rounds and was not decided in the first one, unlike most of the fights on the card. The third round proved to be the turning point: Lavrynenko's opponent was knocked down and, after it, refused to continue the fight. As a result, "Lavruha" once again defended his championship title and claimed the tournament's main trophy — a golden AK-47 rifle.
A Message to Brothers in Captivity
After his victory, Lavrynenko dedicated the result to his brothers held in Russian captivity. "I will keep fighting until the last of my brothers is freed from Russian captivity," the fighter declared after defending his title. This statement turned the sporting success into a public message and became the emotional highlight of the evening.
It is worth noting that the M13 FIGHTS league operates as a series of tournaments across different cities of Ukraine: the season was previously opened with a meeting in Khmelnytskyi, and the Kyiv bout on the barge became the sixth event within the veterans' league. The "military" bare-knuckle fighting format continues to attract both sporting and public audiences, combining a competitive program with a patriotic message.
