Latvia’s First Ever Fightball Show at “Xiaomi Arena”

Latvia’s First Ever Fightball Show at “Xiaomi Arena”

History was made! On January 29th, Latvia’s very first fightball show rolled out in “Xiaomi Arena”, warming up the first Užavas Cup semi final between “Rīgas Zeļļi” and “VEF Rīga”.

A rather packed arena proved that fightball did catch the audience’s interest, as the “headliner” fight was only at 20:00. This time, “VEF Rīga” took home the win (77:67), avenging their earlier season loss to “Zeļļi” and setting themselves up with strong momentum ahead of the rematch on February 4th.

A Very Pink Fightball Debut

Surely, “VEF Rīga” didn’t hold the only victory of the night — Team “Latvian Wrestling Federation” and Team “BAZARA 0”, both represented by some of Latvia’s most promising athletes, fought, literally and figuratively, for every point. The game, which lasted four quarters of six minutes each, was confidently won by Team “Latvian Wrestling Federation” with a score of 10:3.

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Photo by Ieva Strēlniece

With no dribbling and physicality pushed an extra mile or two, fightball is an entirely different breed of sport. Brawlier gameplay, constant player swaps, and some good old ill-tempered elbowing made it entertaining to watch; it’s a true combo of basketball and combat sports, after all.

When players got pushed, yanked, or shoved, you could see it in their expressions — some barked back, others retaliated immediately, sometimes leading to full-on grappling before hopping back into the game. Early on, it seemed like the match was more about the “fight” in fightball, almost as if testing the limits of what they could get away with.

However, as the game progressed, the aggression subsided significantly, shifting toward actual gameplay. They began strategizing the wrestling aspect more, focusing on getting into scoring positions rather than just overpowering their opponents. The shifts were noticeable: fewer wild scrambles for possession, more structured plays, and actual fast breaks that looked like something out of a rather well-coordinated streetball match. 

With little surprise, it was Team “Latvian Wrestling Federation” who steadily took the win — Team “Bazara 0” members did claim they’d had significantly less training than the winners, and only about two weeks of active practice.

Zutis vs. Rozentāls — What Happened

Game is game, but with fighters involved, the match doesn’t stop at the buzzer. A rather minor midgame altercation between Kristaps Zutis and Francis Rozentāls has now turned into something much bigger.

by Ieva Strēlniece

Following the game, Rozentāls stated in an interview with Bazara 0 that “Zutis had gotten mad” during the match, and that Kristaps wouldn’t even step in a ring with Francis.

Kristaps Zutis didn’t let that slide. After text messaging with multiple people from the Bazara 0 team about wanting to fight Rozentāls, an official announcement was made this morning: Francis Rozentāls has accepted the deal to fight Kristaps Zutis on May 10th at the second BAZARA 0 Fight Club show, and Zutis has been offered a €5,000 payout — or, as he himself claimed, he could do it for free. 

photo by Ieva Strēlniece

Was some heat to be expected? Probably. All in all, one thing was clear: Latvia has a taste for fightball. A rematch is already in the talks, and we’re hoping to see an expanded roster next time around. Hopefully, the question now isn’t “if” we’ll see fightball again — it’s “when”!

For those who missed the action, a full fightball show replay is available below. And for those wanting an inside look, stay tuned for a game day vlog coming tomorrow, January 31st!

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