USA Pankration Wins Gold In Lithuania

Written by Paul Fladten

Wednesday, 16 September 2009 13:55

The United States Pankration team recently made the 4,500 mile return trip from Lithuania, but for the first time in over a decade, each team member sported a gold medal around their neck during the flight; Wisconsinites Adam Kope and Dave Sixel played a huge role in this accomplishment.

Sixel, who also runs Sixel’s Fight Club in Sugar Camp, is the President of the USA Federation of Pankration Athlima. As President, Sixel was able to lead his entire staff to the gold medal for the first time in over 10 years.

Of Sixel’s 23 team members, one of the most instrumental towards the staff’s success was Adam Kope. Kope, who trains at Sixel’s Fight Club, has a record of 2-2 as an amateur Mixed Martial Artist. But he just recently completed his biggest accomplishment with an individual gold medal finish at the World Championships in Lithuania.

Kope, who was confident in his abilities, told the crowd at Battle of the Bay 2 in Green Bay that he expected to win the gold in Lithuania. And he did just that. Earlier in the year, Kope had earned his spot on the roster by taking first in the U.S. trials.

In Lithuania, Kope continued this trend as he won the gold in the heavyweight division. He went undefeated throughout the tournament as he helped the United States bring home the overall top prize.

The accomplishment of Sixel, Kope, and the rest of the U.S. Pankration Team should not be overlooked, especially here in Wisconsin. In an interview with Wisconsin Combat Sports in April, Sixel explained that Wisconsin has always had a good in Pankration.

"We've always had people from [Wisconsin] make the world team," Sixel said. "I mean look at Jon Friedland. Jon has been a part of [Team] USA Pankration for years now. How I think I got nominated to be president of the organization [is] because we always had a strong backing in the Wisconsin area."