The brother duo Ahavat Hashem and Ruach Hashem Gordon recorded an impressive winning streak in a competition organized by UTMA held in Lithuania.
The two combined high-level professional ability with a powerful display of Jewish identity and Israeli pride.
Ruach Hashem Gordon opened the fights against his Turkish opponent, Hüseyin Dolu. The match developed into a dramatic contest for the local crowd. Despite a very strong start by Gordon, the Turkish opponent managed to slam him to the mat twice, leading to two referee counts.
However, due to the dominance he showed in the rest of the fight and his overwhelming opening, the judges decided to award the Israeli fighter the victory on points.
The Turkish opponent struggled to accept the decision and displayed unsportsmanlike behavior in the ring after the announcement, but this did not overshadow the joy on the Israeli side.
This victory serves as a “correction" for Gordon. In another competition held about a month ago, he was forbidden from entering the ring with an Israeli flag, but this time in Lithuania he did not give in. Gordon entered the ring wrapped in tzitzit, wearing a kippah, with an Israeli flag proudly displayed behind him.
Beyond the sporting aspect, Gordon chose to use the platform to convey a national and values-based message. During the ceremonies in the ring, he held an emotional tribute to fallen IDF soldier Asaf Hamami, and in his victory speech dedicated the achievement to IDF soldiers operating on various fronts:
“This victory is dedicated to all our brave fighters. Am Yisrael Chai. You are fighting on the battlefield, and we are in the ring."
Afterward, Ahavat Hashem Gordon entered the ring, determined not to leave the decision in the hands of the judges. Following a complex saga leading up to the fight-during which his original Thai opponent withdrew citing “visa issues," perceived as reluctance to face an Israeli - he faced Spain’s Andrés Vasquez instead.
The fight began with a tense moment as the Israeli initially found himself on the ground, but from that point everything turned around. Ahavat Hashem pushed forward with a blitz of kicks and elbows that stunned Vasquez.
A precise strike to the liver caused the decisive damage, ending the fight with a resounding knockout in the very first round after just three minutes.
Ahavat Hashem also chose to dedicate his victory to IDF soldiers, saying at the end of the fight:
“I want to dedicate this fight to my country and to the fighters defending it. I just want to do good, to be a good person. Be good, be Hamami," a closing phrase associated with Col. Asaf Hamami, who was killed in the October 7 massacre.