Team USA Notches Perfect Day to Open 77th International Strandja Boxing Tournament
PhilBoxing.com
Tue, 24 Feb 2026
Lorenzo Patricio, Lavant Brownlee, Salim Ellis-Bey and Robby Gonzales Score Wins on Day One of Competition
SOFIA, Bulgaria (February 23, 2026) – The USA Boxing Elite High Performance Team is off to a red-hot start at the 77th International Strandja Boxing Tournament after the Stars and Stripes went undefeated across four bouts on day one. Team USA delivered a statement performance in Sofia, Bulgaria, with all four wins coming from the men’s athletes.
The flawless day began with Lorenzo Patricio (Waianae, Hawaii), who defeated Brazilian boxer Michael Trindade in the 55 kg bout. The two-time gold medalist with the USA Boxing Youth High Performance Team earned a gritty 3-2 win over Trindade, who was a Paris 2024 Olympian. Following the win in his tournament opener, Patricio will now box in the Round of 16 against Kazakhstan’s Timur Kabdeshov on Tuesday, Feb. 24.
While Patricio was competing, Lavant Brownlee (Louisville, Ky.) was in the other ring, making his elite international debut against Georgia boxer Luka Nikabadze. Brownlee went on to win by a unanimous decision after winning all five judges’ votes in every round. The Kentucky native also advances to the Round of 16, where he will square off against Armenia’s Harutyun Hakobkokhyan on Thursday, Feb. 26.
Following Brownlee and Patricio was the United States team captain, Salim Ellis-Bey (Philadelphia, Pa.), in the 60-kilogram division. The team captain was the third and final American boxer making his elite international debut today, and scored a statement win over Kazakhstan’s Ruslan Kuzeubayev. Ellis-Bey got off to a hot start, winning the first round by a score of 4-1. After setting the pace in the opening three minutes, he controlled the rest of the bout and captured the 3-2 victory. The Philadelphia native will now go head-to-head with Armenia’s Artur Bazeyan on Wednesday, Feb. 25.
Closing things out for the United States on Monday was Robby “Rahim” Gonzales (Las Vegas, Nev.).
The 2021 World Championships gold medalist earned a 4-1 split decision victory over Kazakhstan’s Diaz Molzhigitov and will now advance to the Round of 16. Gonzales will now square off against Brazil’s Wanderley Pereira on Wednesday, Feb. 25.
Looking ahead to Tuesday’s schedule, Team USA will have five boxers enter the ring, four of whom will make their tournament debuts at the 77th International Strandja Boxing Tournament. Kicking things off are Jennifer Lozano (Laredo, Texas), a Paris 2024 Olympian, and 2025 World Boxing Championships silver medalist Yoseline Perez (Houston, Texas). Lozano will take on Uzbekistan’s Feruza Kazakova in the 51-kilogram matchup, while Perez will face off against Germany’s Tatjana Obermeier in the 54-kilogram division.
On the men’s side for Tuesday’s slate, Patricio returns to the ring and will be the third American boxer to compete on the day, and he will do so against Kazakhstan’s Timur Kabdeshov. After Patricio, Team USA will have two more boxers make their elite international debuts, including Marcus Luther (Washington, D.C.) and Joseph Awinongya (Joliet, Ill.). Luther will match up against Turkey’s Yigit Us in the 65-kilogram division, while Awinongya will go head-to-head against Romania’s Jorge Luis Mayeta in a 90-kilogram showdown.
Additional information and schedules for boxers who advance throughout the Strandja 2026 tournament will be updated throughout the week. Each round of the 77th International Strandja Boxing Tournament will be broadcast live on the tournament event page, linked HERE. Additional information, including daily bout sheets, results, tournament updates, and more, can be found on the USA Boxing website, where followers can find the 77th International Strandja Boxing Tournament event page.
Results | Monday, February 23:
Men’s 55kg: Lorenzo Patricio, USA VS. Michael Trindade, Brazil | W 3-2
Men’s 70kg: Lavant Brownlee, USA VS. Luka Nikabadze, Georgia | W 5-0
Men’s 60kg: Salim Ellis-Bey, USA VS. Ruslan Kuzeubayev, Kazakhstan | W 3-2
Men’s 80kg: Robby Gonzales, USA VS. Diaz Molzhigitov, Kazakhstan | W 4-1
Schedule | Tuesday, February 24:
Women’s 51kg: Jennifer Lozano vs. Feruza Kazakova, Uzbekistan | Ring A, | Approx. 7:45 a.m. ET
Women’s 54kg: Yoseline Perez vs. Tatjana Obermeier, Germany | Ring B | Approx. 7:15 a.m. ET
Men’s 55kg: Lorenzo Patricio vs. Timur Kabdeshov, Kazakhstan | Ring B | Approx. 10:30 a.m. ET
Men’s 65kg: Marcus Luther vs. Yigit Us, Turkey | Ring A | Approx. 12:45 p.m. ET
Men’s 90kg: Joseph Awinongya vs. Jorge Luis Mayeta, Romania | Ring A | Approx. 2:00 p.m. ET
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