In less than two weeks Team Canada’s elite lineup of amateur MMA contenders will travel to the UK for the first time as a unit to compete in the first IMMAF European Open Championships of Amateur MMA. At the inaugural IMMAF World Championships in Las Vegas, 2014, Canada came away with a single medal as Leroy Johnson claimed bronze in the Super Heavyweight division. At the 2015 IMMAF World Championships, which took place in July again in Las Vegas, Canada achieved four podium spots and two world champions with Sambath Khun (bronze, Men’s Flyweight), Jamie Herrington (gold, Women’s Featherweight), Alexander Martinez (silver, Welterweight) and Saeid Mirzaei (gold, Light-Heavyweight). The Canadian team’s effort has seen them place 3rd in the IMMAF international team rankings, behind the USA and Italy, and a strong showing at the IMMAF European Open this month could see the nation climb higher. Among Canada’s 2015 World Championship medallists, no.1 ranked light-heavyweight Saeid Mirzaei will be making his way to the UK, looking to add to his IMMAF Championship dominance by adding the European Open crown to this year’s tally. Mirzaei stormed through the 2015 IMMAF World Championships with three successive first round stoppages (1 KO, 2 submissions) to conquer the 205lb division in July. In addition to his no.1 spot in the Light-Heavyweight rankings, Mirzaei is ranked no.6 in IMMAF’s pound-for-pound list, and from November 19-22 he will have the opportunity to surpass this and close in on the number-1 pound-for-pound spot. 
With the European Open Championships set to take place from November 19-22, nations will now able to nominate two athletes per weight class and Team Canada will feature seven amateur athletes, including: Eloise Picard – Women’s Bantamweight Dylan Lielke – Men’s Bantamweight Justin Saikely – Men’s Bantamweight Ben Fouladi – Men’s Featherweight James Hegazy – Men’s Lightweight Brandon Collings – Light-Heavyweight Saeid Mirzaei – Light-Heavyweight 
Canada’s Saeid Mirzaei has opportunity to become p4p king at IMMAF European Open
