Boxing Promoter Announces Eimantas Stanionis' Return to Kaunas, Details Dirksytis Injury and Record Tournament

Boxing promoter UTMA is bringing Lithuanian fighter Eimantas Stanionis back to the ring in Kaunas for the upcoming UTMA 19 tournament in September. UTMA head Viktoras Gecas confirmed Stanionis has unfinished business in the city and will compete soon, though his bout will not headline the event.

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It's nice to be here again. An introduction before a new season, as much has changed in the organization. I'm happy about Eimantas' fight. I also want to confirm that the fight between Dominykas Dirksytis and Sergejus Maslobojevas will definitely happen and will be the main event of the tournament. Dominykas suffered an injury, but he is ready to fight. I think this will be a historic tournament and a historic main fight.

The main event will feature a highly anticipated clash between Dominykas Dirksytis and Sergejus Maslobojevas. Gecas acknowledged that Dirksytis had been dealing with an injury but assured that the fighter is now ready. "Dominykas suffered an injury, but he is ready to fight," Gecas stated. He anticipates this main event will be both historic and a significant draw for the tournament.

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There have been negotiations with E. Kavaliauskas for some time. We can't elaborate much, but we are negotiating. Our side is ready. Eimantas has not fought for a year. Circumstances were such that in February and April he didn't even have a theoretical chance to fight – there were minor injuries.

Discussions regarding a potential fight between Stanionis and Egidijus Kavaliauskas have been ongoing, with UTMA expressing readiness to finalize the match. However, Stanionis has not competed for a year due to minor injuries. Gecas noted that while the Dirksytis-Maslobojevas fight is exciting, it might not be enough to sell out the 16,500-capacity arena alone, suggesting the inclusion of Stanionis' fight was a strategic decision to boost ticket sales.

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This tournament will feature 40 fighters, of which 32-34 are Lithuanians. One of our tournaments – 40 fighters... This gives an opportunity to earn and be seen at the largest tournament in Europe.

UTMA 19 is poised to set a new record with 40 fighters on the card, a substantial portion of whom, around 32-34, will be Lithuanian. Gecas highlighted this as a major opportunity for local talent to gain exposure on a large European platform. He also mentioned that Stanionis' fight will be a ten-round bout, and coordinating it was easier this time due to increased trust in UTMA's operations. The promoter has two primary goals: staging the Stanionis-Kavaliauskas fight and bringing a world championship bout for Stanionis to Lithuania, potentially in early 2027.

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Eimantas' fight will be ten rounds. It was easier to coordinate the fight this time because we are trusted more. Everyone saw that we are working at the right level. And it's easy to coordinate because Eimantas is a ranked fighter. We have two goals. The fight between E. Stanionis and Egidijus Kavaliauskas, and Eimantas' fight for the world championship title in Lithuania.