Team USA Dominates at Strandja Boxing Tournament, Securing Quarterfinal Spots
Sofia, Bulgaria – The USA Boxing Elite High Performance Team continued its impressive run at the 77th International Strandja Boxing Tournament in Sofia, Bulgaria, on Wednesday, February 25, 2026, earning three more victories and securing quarterfinal berths for Alyssa Mendoza, Salim Ellis-Bey and Kelvin Watts.
Mendoza, Ellis-Bey, and Watts Advance to Quarterfinals
Alyssa Mendoza (Caldwell, Idaho), the captain of the USA Boxing women’s team, led the charge with a unanimous decision win over Mongolia’s Nomin-Erdene Tugsjargal.1 The Paris 2024 Olympian will face Kazakhstan’s Ulzhan Sarsenbek in the quarterfinals on Thursday, February 26.
Salim Ellis-Bey (Philadelphia, Pa.) secured his second win of the tournament with a unanimous decision over Armenia’s Artur Bazeyan.1 He will next compete against Brazil’s Luiz Oliveira, a 2025 World Boxing Championships silver medalist and Paris 2024 Olympian, on Friday, February 27.
Super heavyweight Kelvin Watts (Chesapeake, Va.) delivered a decisive 5-0 victory over Germany’s Younes Ouchaou, marking his first win of the year.1 Watts will face Bulgaria’s Yordan Morejon in the quarterfinals.
Tough Day for Crockett, Rosendo, and Gonzales
Despite valiant efforts, Alisha Crockett (Phoenix, Arizona), Marie-Angelis Rosendo (Deland, Fla.), and Robby Gonzales (Las Vegas, Nev.) each fell short in their bouts, losing by unanimous 5-0 decisions.1
Thursday’s Schedule: Quarterfinal Focus
Team USA will have a busy day on Thursday, February 26, with six boxers in action, including four in quarterfinal matchups.4 This presents the first opportunity for the team to guarantee medals in those weight classes.
- Women’s 54kg: Yoseline Perez vs. Zhaina Shekerbekova (Kazakhstan) – Approximately 8:00 a.m. ET
- Men’s 70kg: Lavant Brownlee vs. Harutyun Hakobkokhyan (Armenia) – Approximately 9:45 a.m. ET
- Men’s 65kg: Marcus Luther vs. Yertugan Zeinulinov (Kazakhstan) – Approximately 10:15 a.m. ET
- Women’s 57kg: Alyssa Mendoza vs. Ulzhan Sarsenbek (Kazakhstan) – Approximately 11:00 a.m. ET
- Women’s 70kg: Simona Winkler vs. Anastasiia Chernokolenko (Ukraine) – Approximately 12:30 p.m. ET
- Women’s 75kg: Naomi Graham vs. Mariya Sidorenko (Kazakhstan) – Approximately 1:00 p.m. ET
The 77th International Strandja Boxing Tournament is being broadcast live on the tournament event page.4 Additional information and schedules will be updated throughout the week on the USA Boxing website.4