Nadiia Honcharova and Tetiana Liashuk booked their places in the under-56.7 kilograms and 61.2kg elite female mixed martial arts (MMA) divisions at the Palace of Sports in Kyiv.

Honcharova secured a technical knockout win over Georgia’s Mariami Torchinava to reach the 56.7kg final, where she will face Poland’s Karolina Chlobuszewska.

Liashuk advanced to the 61.2kg final courtesy of a narrow win over Liudmyla Iliuk in an all-Ukrainian bout.

She will now face the challenge of Spain’s Leovigilda Gutierrez Lozada.

"We had perfect preparations for this fight as we had a three-month training camp because of the rescheduling of the event," Liashuk said.

"Having the European Championships is a very big deal for the popularity of female MMA in Ukraine.

"Usually, female athletes in Ukraine compete in other countries and it goes a bit unnoticed.

"So now that it is here, people have the opportunity to come and watch and cheer us on – it is huge to increase awareness of the sport."

Daryna Tishchenko continued Ukraine’s success reaching the over-72.6kg final, where she will face Poland’s Lara Fornal.

GAMMA welcomed striking MMA to the European Championships, with the discipline prohibiting ground fighting.

The organisation says it serves as a gateway for athletes transitioning from sports such as boxing, kickboxing and muaythai.

Bilol Abdurasulov advanced to the men’s under-70.3kg final, with Latvia’s only participant one fight away from winning gold.

Abdurasulov will face Ukraine’s Nazarii Bedrii in the final.