Next MMA success

Cage smash: Elias is now also European champion!

Elias Erber struck again and won European Championship gold in Belgrade.

(Bild: IMMAF (2), Krone KREATIV)

He came, saw and ... won again! After winning the gold medal at last year's World Championship debut, Elias Erber has now also been crowned European MMA champion. The Salzburg native's second exclamation mark is also one for the local amateur association, which is still vying for admission to Sport Austria. Meanwhile, the next top fight events await Krone+ subscribers.

Having barely arrived in the "adult class", there seems to be no way around Elias Erber! Just last November, the 21-year-old from Salzburg won the amateur world title in Albania - and now he has also triumphed at the highly competitive European Championships in Serbia.

Fighters from Ireland, Ukraine and Poland were unable to prevent Erber from reaching the featherweight final. Frenchman Ugo-Antton Vidal, who himself had made a dominant run towards the gold medal, was waiting for him in the final.

No prisoners in the final
Austria's hopeful, however, took no prisoners. He brought his opponent to the ground in round two, rained down hard punches - and finally won by technical knockout! Which meant that "No Time", as our cage warrior calls himself, also delivered the "Performance of the Day".

Erber's second coup in a row at a major international event of the amateur world association IMMAF, which is supported by the elite league UFC, is also a source of pure joy for the local association AUTMMAF. "A tremendous performance," praises Technical Director Gerhard Ettl.

A powerful argument more
Austria's MMA pioneer not only fights to promote young talents, who step into the Octagon at "his" Cage Fight Series, among others; KronePLUS subscribers also regularly see Erber here. In the meantime, the amateur MMA division is also struggling to be accepted by Sport Austria (formerly the Federal Sports Organization/BSO).

The decision-makers there are not only looking at legal aspects, association and club structures as well as coach and fighter training. They also look at whether the European Championships and World Championships will be held, whether there is a chance of winning medals there or whether medals have already been won. With Erber, you have at least one more powerful argument for being officially recognized alongside martial arts such as boxing, karate or judo.

Top events await PLUS subscribers
Speaking of boxing: absolute amateurs - from car dealers to chefs to the office boy next door - will be stepping into the ring again in a few weeks at the industry boxing event in the Liebenau ice rink! KronePLUS subscribers(see our offers here) can watch the full evening of fights in an exclusive stream on April 28 at krone.at.

The day before, on April 27, a superlative MMA event will take place, namely Sparta 4 in the Multiversum Schwechat. Once again, our PLUS subscribers will be able to watch the live stream on krone.at when veteran Attila Ucar, Ivo Cuk and Co. let their fists and legs fly!