COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — The USA Boxing Elite High Performance Team has officially begun its 2026 international campaign, arriving in Sofia, Bulgaria, for the prestigious International Strandja Boxing Tournament.
Fourteen American boxers — seven men and seven women — are set to represent the United States at one of the sport’s longest-running and most respected international tournaments. The competition begins Monday and runs through Sunday, March 1, when the tournament finals will crown this year’s champions.
Draw Set, Paths to Gold Revealed
Sunday’s tournament draw determined the road ahead for each American athlete. Team USA will stagger its tournament debuts throughout the week:
- Four boxers compete Monday
- Four begin Tuesday
- Four enter Wednesday
- Two debut Thursday
With a balanced mix of Olympians, world medalists, and elite international newcomers, the United States enters the Strandja Tournament with depth across multiple weight classes.
Monday, Feb. 23: Four U.S. Men Open Competition
The opening day will feature four American men, three making their elite international debuts.
- Men’s 55kg: Lorenzo Patricio vs. Michael Trindade (Brazil) – Approx. 9:00 a.m. ET
- Men’s 70kg: Lavant Brownlee vs. Luka Nikabadze (Georgia) – Approx. 9:00 a.m. ET
Both Patricio and Brownlee will make their first appearances at the elite international level.
Following them:
- Men’s 60kg: Salim Ellis-Bey vs. Ruslan Kuzeubayev (Kazakhstan) – Approx. 11:15 a.m. ET
Ellis-Bey, the men’s team captain, begins his tournament run against a seasoned Kazakh opponent.
The day concludes with one of Team USA’s most accomplished athletes:
- Men’s 80kg: Robby Gonzales vs. Diaz Molzhigitov (Kazakhstan) – Approx. 1:45 p.m. ET
Gonzales, a 2021 World Championships gold medalist, opens his 2026 season against Molzhigitov, a 2025 World Boxing Cup bronze medalist.
Tuesday, Feb. 24: Olympian and World Medalist Enter the Ring
Tuesday’s action features two high-profile American women:
- Women’s 51kg: Jennifer Lozano vs. Feruza Kazakova (Kazakhstan)
- Women’s 54kg: Yoseline Perez vs. Tatjana Obermeier (Germany)
Lozano represented Team USA at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, while Perez enters as the 2025 World Boxing Championships silver medalist.
On the men’s side, two more elite international debuts take place:
- Men’s 65kg: Marcus Luther vs. Yigit Us (Turkey)
- Men’s 90kg: Joseph Awinongya vs. Jorge Luis Mayeta (Romania)
Awinongya brings strong international pedigree, having earned gold at two events as a member of the Youth High Performance Team, including the 2024 World Boxing U19 Championships.
Wednesday, Feb. 25: Mendoza Headlines Midweek Slate
Another Paris 2024 Olympian headlines Wednesday’s action:
- Women’s 57kg: Alyssa Mendoza vs. Nomin-Erdene Tugsjargal (Mongolia)
Mendoza, the women’s team captain, leads a busy day that also includes:
- Women’s 60kg: Alisha Crockett vs. Rimma Volossenko (Kazakhstan)
- Women’s 65kg: Marie-Angelis Rosendo vs. Laura Yessenkeldi (Kazakhstan)
Rosendo returns to international competition after earning silver at the 2025 World Boxing Challenge Grand Prix Usti Nad Labem.
The lone American male on Wednesday:
- Men’s 90+kg: Kelvin Watts vs. Younes Ouchaou (Germany)
Watts, a two-time bronze medalist in 2025, begins his second year on the High Performance roster.
Thursday, Feb. 26: Two Veterans Make Tournament Debuts
Team USA’s final two tournament openers step into the ring Thursday:
- Women’s 70kg: Simona Winkler vs. Anastasiia Chernokolenko (Ukraine)
- Women’s 75kg: Naomi Graham vs. Mariya Sidorenko (Kazakhstan)
Graham, a Tokyo 2020 Olympian, adds veteran leadership to a roster blending experience and rising talent.
Live Coverage and Updates
Each round of the 77th Strandja Tournament will be broadcast live via the official event page. Fans can also follow daily bout sheets, results, and updates on the USA Boxing website.
As the first international test of 2026, the Strandja Tournament offers Team USA an early benchmark against many of the world’s top amateur boxing programs — including Kazakhstan, Germany, Turkey, Brazil, Mongolia, Romania, Ukraine, and Georgia.
With Olympians, world medalists, and elite newcomers sharing the stage, Team USA enters Sofia focused on one goal: gold.
Roberto Villa is the CEO, Founder, Executive Writer, and Senior Editor of FightBook MMA. Has a passion for Combat Sports and is also a podcast host for Sitting Ringside. He’s also a former MMA fighter and Kickboxer. He’s also the main photographer for the 4CornersMafia Car Club.
Discover more from FightBook MMA
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.