The IMMAF is proud to announce the first World Championships in Amateur MMA to be held early July 2014 in Las Vegas, USA, during the Las Vegas Fight week and in conjunction with the UFC Fan Expo. The International MMA Federation was founded in February 2012 and has since worked diligently to provide a non-profit, democratic foundation for MMA to grow into an internationally recognized sport that is at par with other major sports. As part of the work to develop MMA all the way from the grass-roots and up, the IMMAF is proud to announce the first World Championship in Amateur MMA which will be held in Las Vegas, USA, in the beginning of July 2014. -“We are very happy to announce this much anticipated and great step forward for the sport of MMA.” says IMMAF President August Wallén. “MMA deserves the same opportunities to develop as all other world sports and MMA athletes deserve the same chances to excel in international competition. We are dedicated in providing the MMA community with the first of many top level World Championships that will meet international quality standards as well as excite MMA practitioners and followers around the world. Las Vegas as the location provides for an excellent setting for athletes and spectators alike.” The IMMAF World Championships will be held during the Las Vegas Fight Week and the UFC Fan Expo, a much appreciated event which each year attracts thousands of fans to celebrate their passion for MMA through participation in exhibitions, training sessions, special events and competitions. The World Championships are open to national teams consisting of amateur athletes representing a national federation affiliated to the IMMAF. An athlete is eligible to compete if he/she is on the amateur level, is 18 years or older, meet the requirements regarding experience posed by the IMMAF amateur MMA rules and has been fairly selected by a national federation. The tournament will run for a week with each weight division as a single elimination tournament that depending on the size of the division will run for four or five days before reaching the finals on the Saturday. Each weight division will run one full round of competitions per day which means that all contestants will participate in a maximum of one match per day and a total of four or five matches over the course of the week for those who reach the final. One gold, one silver and two bronze medals will be awarded in each weight division. The IMMAF has to date received applications from organizations in 75 countries wanting to represent their country as the national federation. Since international standards for national sports federations are high, the IMMAF has a strict process to ensure that requirements such as true non-profit status, democratic structure and fair representation of the national MMA community are met. There are currently 21 IMMAF members and with over 140 pending applications the number is estimated to have reached 40 by the time registrations close for the World Championships. Visit the World Championship site for more information, immaf.org/worldchampionships]]>
