Five continents represented, five disciplines on the programme and dozens of beautiful medals awarded to so many inspirational student-athletes… Brasilia showcased combat sports at their very best.
The combat sports fans were spoilt for choice last week with the best student-athletes in the world competing in ju-jitsu, karate, muaythai, wrestling and wushu right in Brazilia. Did you miss something? Don’t worry, you can find highlights, replays and much more on all our channels.
46 delegations from all five continents travelled to Brasilia for the event, which shows how universal combat sports are.
Thanks to their talent and great spirit, they made the event unbelievable and gave the photographers incredible shots, like this spectacular wushu picture where this student-athlete defies gravity!
“Competing at home and feeling the support of the crowd was truly special”, said Brazil’s Rosiane de Oliveira, gold medallist in the women’s karate kumite +68kg category. “Seeing so many children watching the matches and cheering for the athletes made the experience even more meaningful. To me, the greatest value of sport lies in its ability to inspire younger generations and leave a legacy for those who are just beginning their journey.”
The results
The host country Brazil tops the ju-jitsu medal table with a total of seventeen (9 gold, 5 silver and 2 bronze), followed by Thailand with thirteen (4 gold, 6 silver and 3 bronze) and Saudi Arabia with four (2 gold and 2 bronze).
Eight delegations in total claimed podiums, with Germany, Hungary, Cambodia, Canada and Ukraine also taking home not only a medal, but also a handcrafted sculpture inspired by the candangos, the workers who played a vital role in the construction of Brasília.
The best ju-jitsu shots
Spain dominated the karate competition, with a total of eleven medals (6 gold, 2 silver and 3 bronze), followed by Türkiye with eight (3 gold, 5 bronze) and Iran with eleven (1 gold, 4 silver and 6 bronze).
20 delegations in total climbed on the podium for an impressive universal representation of this really popular sport!
The best karate shots
Europe managed to beat muaythai’s origin country in Brazilia. Türkiye stepped on the highest step of the overall podium with a total of eight medals (4 gold, 1 silver and 3 bronze), in front of Czechia with six (2 gold and 4 bronze) and Thailand with six too (2 gold, 2 silver and 2 bronze).
Seventeen delegations in total are taking medals home from Brazil.
The best muaythai shots
Nobody wrestles like Iran! Their delegation topped the medal table with nineteen medals (13 gold, 3 silver and 3 bronze) in front of Türkiye with twelve (5 gold, 5 silver and 2 bronze), followed by Canada with ten (2 gold, 3 silver, 5 bronze).
Fifteen delegations claimed places on the podium in this fantastic tournament.
The best wrestling shots
Hong King, China tops the wushu medal table thanks to one more gold than the second delegation, Türkiye. So Hong Kong, China has a total of nine (7 gold, 1 silver, 1 bronze), Türkiye thirteen (6 gold, 7 silver) and the People’s Republic of China is third of the medal table with a total of seven (5 gold, 2 bronze).
Twelve delegations brought wushu medals home. Congratulations to all of them!
The best wushu shots
Where to find detailed results and replays?
“The Brasíiia 2026 FISU World University Championship Combat Sports represents far more than a major sporting event”, said Alim Maluf Neto, President of CBDU and FISU America. “In partnership with FISU, we had the honour of bringing together student-athletes from dozens of countries, promoting not only high-level sporting performance but also cultural exchange, friendship, and the values that make university sport such a powerful force for social development.”
The action is over in Brazil, but the FISU World University Championship 2026 season is just getting warmed up! Next up is Handball, in Pessac, France starting on 20 July. Don’t miss it as it will also be stremed live! See you there!
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