STIPE MIOČIĆ OFFICIALLY RECEIVED CROATIAN PASSPORT AT SUNSET SPORTS FESTIVAL
Zadar, June 7, 2025 – The second day of this year’s Sunset Sports Festival in Zadar marked an extremely significant and emotional moment for Croatia and world sport – legendary MMA fighter Stipe Miočić officially became a Croatian citizen. In a hall filled to capacity with festival visitors and numerous prominent sports and public figures, he told many interesting and touching stories from his career and life, revealing a deep connection to his Croatian roots. The passport was then presented to him by the Minister of Demography and Immigration Ivan Šipić, symbolically confirming the lasting connection of the top athlete with his homeland.
During his interaction with the audience, Miočić spoke openly about his pride in his Croatian origins, the challenges and victories in his career, and his strong connection to his family and homeland. He recalled how he had always wanted Croatian citizenship and emphasized: “I think my father would be very happy, and I know my mother would be too. I know that I came from here, I enjoy every moment here in Zadar”. He spoke openly about the difficult moments he went through, but also about his love for fighting and what he does. His sincere words resonated strongly with the audience, confirming that his story is an inspiration to many; not only as a top athlete, but also as a man deeply connected to his roots. A special moment also followed when Pete Radovich presented him with Croatian national football team jerseys for the entire family.
Sunset Esports Festival and Sunset Performance Lab open
With the opening of the Sunset Esports Festival and the Sunset Performance Lab, this year’s Sunset Sports Festival has further expanded its content. “This year, we decided that the sports business was simply too big for one stage. Thanks to our partners from Good Game Global and Ultrax, we have added two new zones; esports and performance. As a former athlete, I am especially pleased that nutrition, mental training and everything that makes a modern athlete will be discussed here,” said festival director and former NBA player Damjan Rudež. CBS Sports Vice President of Production and Creative Director Pete Radovich pointed out that through his personal acquaintance with esports, he became aware of how much seriousness, concentration and physical fitness this discipline requires, adding that coming to Croatia always represents a return home for him.
“Big kudos to Damjan and Pete, visionaries who have launched something unprecedented in Croatia. Although athletes and esports players have different routines, their level of commitment is the same; esports players often train up to ten hours a day. I would say the biggest difference is in the training method itself; while classic athletes simply cannot maintain such intensity all day, esports players have to do just that – train 10 to 12 hours a day,” added Good Game Global founder Nikola Stolnik.
The festival in full glory: the main stage is filled to capacity at all times
Before the arrival of Stipe Miočić on the Main Stage, a series of interesting panels and lectures dedicated to sports branding, media and different sports took place. Panel Cutting Through: Marketing In The Age Of Noise was moderated by Anita Nekka Jones from CBS, and experts Diego Garcia (Nike), Domenico Novella (Entourage Sports & Entertainment) and Misha Sher (EssenceMediacom) pointed out that authentic storytelling makes athletes relevant not only in sports, but also in wider culture, bringing examples of cooperation with big stars like Pele and Vinicius Jr. The Best Seat in the House panel revealed the challenges and successes of transforming the Golazo CBS show into one of the most watched sports programs, both on television and on social networks. CBS panelists Matt Curtis, Peter Schmeichel, Anita Nekka Jones and Pete Radovich shared behind-the-scenes stories of the creative solutions that have allowed them to bring their content to a wider audience. An interesting anecdote that they discovered is that the entire deal for the show was concluded precisely thanks to Pete Radovich, and that in Zadar. They also recalled the special moment when Luka Modrić himself approached the CBS team for an interview, despite Real Madrid’s defeat, which also proved the closeness and trust that CBS built with the players. The panelists agreed that the show’s success is the result of openness to new formats, community involvement and respect for athletes. At the Combat Zone panel, Kate Scott spoke with Barbara Matić, Malik Scott, and Matej Filipčić about the evolution of combat sports and the importance of mental strength, discipline, and personal branding.
Luka Perković Perkz officially bids farewell to professional esports
The most emotional moment of the Sunset Esports Festival was the farewell of one of the most successful esports players; Luka Perković Perkz. In the final panel of Perkz: Game. Fame. Sacrifice., Perkz spoke candidly about the challenges, pressures and sacrifices his career has entailed, emphasizing the importance of mental health and personal development. The festival opened with the panel Gold Medals & Gamepads: Esports at the Olympics?, where Gustavo Arellano (FIBA), Maja Poljak (HOO), Boban Totovski (IESF) and Zvonimir Burazin (HLTV) discussed the growing role of esports in the Olympic context. The Power Plays & Paydays: Inside the Esports Investment Game panel brought together key industry figures: Bojana Obradović (iNation, BlackRock), Andrea Čordaš (Hellen’s Rock Capital) and His Royal Highness Prince Faisal bin Bandar (Savvy Games Group), moderated by Nikola Stolnik. At the Behind the Arena: Secrets of the Esports Mega Shows panel, Mladen Jurić (Relog Media) and Robbie Douek (BLAST), along with moderator Christen Sandersen (Better Collective), gave the audience an exclusive insight into the organization of the biggest global esports events.
Sunset Performance Lab
Marko Matušinskij, Head of Sports Science at Ultrax and Program Director of the Ultrax Science Hub, emphasized the importance of individual profiling and the use of the VIFT test to accurately determine the intensity of the load, and presented eight steps that connect science and practice in the return of athletes after injury. He also moderated the panel The Performance Loop, where he led a discussion on how top experts structure development, load and return to sport (RTS) in the dynamic conditions of top-level sport. The participants were SC Braga first team coach Joao Alves, football fitness expert at the Swedish Football Association Johan Lundberg, and associate professor and vice-dean for teaching and students at the Faculty of Kinesiology, University of Split, Šime Veršić.
Stipe Miočić, Blanka Vlašić, Mirela Kardašević, Zlatko Mateša, Oliver Lušić, Mark Bennett, Chris Barnes and Paul Biondich are just some of the renowned names on the third day, and you can follow the entire program as well as all upcoming news from the Sunset Sports Festival on the official festival website and via the FB and IG profiles.
