International Mixed Martial Arts Federation enjoyed a thriving partnership with the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) that saw the world’s leading professional MMA promotion increase its role as a primary sponsor. The relationship saw UFC donate invaluable support and financial backing to the IMMAF in advocacy of unified MMA governance and development of the sport at the grassroots and amateur levels. As MMA has continued to grow commercially at an exponential rate, the UFC has been pioneering in identifying a need for corporate social responsibility to address risk reduction and safety improvements at a grassroots level. April this year will mark the 1st year anniversary of the enhanced partnership and IMMAF.org discussed some of its key moments with IMMAF President (pictured above). In December of 2014 the IMMAF President travelled to Las Vegas alongside CEO Densign White, board members Bertrand Amoussou and George Sallfeldt, and IMMAF Communications Director Isobel Carnwath. It was here that the team first put forward a funding proposal with key targets for 2015. The IMMAF heads also met with the United States MMA Federation (UMMAF), as well as local promoters ‘Tuff N Uff’ to lay down early plans for the 2015 IMMAF World Championships of Amateur MMA which took place in conjunction with the UFC’s International Fight Week in Las Vegas. In January of 2015 the inaugural 2014 IMMAF World Championships matches were released on UFC FIGHT PASS. By April the full partnership agreement was completed and officially announced ahead of the 2015 World Championships. The IMMAF and UFC sent out a joint press release in May 2015 revealing that the July World Amateur Championships would take place in conjunction with UFC International Fight Week and that the finals would be featured live at the UFC Fan Expo. UFC fighters who made appearances at the Amateur World Championships included reigning UFC Strawweight champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk, Hall of Famer Forrest Griffin, Tyron Woodley and Cub Swanson. In addition, the UFC hosted a private screening of UFC 189: Mendes vs. McGregor, for all IMMAF amateur athletes. Following the 2015 World Championships’ successful completion, the bouts were later added to UFC Fight Pass in September. In his discussion with IMMAF.org Mr Brown first thanked the influential figures who believed in IMMAF’s direction: “First and foremost we have to thank the UFC for all of their continued support. Dana White, Lorenzo Fertitta, Garry Cook, Lou Lauria, Marc Ratner and Joe Silva have all been instrumental in terms of understanding the development of Amateur MMA. They clearly understand the value in building on this over the next few years. It’s key for the sport to show unified structure in order to be truly recognised and we’re evolving towards this. Dana’s support and letters to Member Presidents and athletes is the type of personal gesture that goes a long way.” The IMMAF strives towards a series of goals which bring great mutual benefit to the UFC. The continued development of a world leading platform for top level amateur competition will ensure that MMA’s grass roots can flourish and plant the seeds for future generations of well educated, high calibre professional athletes worldwide. These roots will be established on a national basis through democratically structured Federations in each of IMMAF’s member countries. Member Federations themselves have a key target of achieving recognition and support from local government, and many have done so with inspiring results. In regions where the regulatory structure is yet to become fully established, the UFC has opened its doors to the concept of “shadow sanctioning” in lieu of national governing bodies having the legal mandate to fully sanction. IMMAF members who have attended regional UFC shows in a shadow sanctioning capacity include those representing the UK, Ireland, Germany and Poland. Meanwhile, the Swedish MMA Federation (SMMAF) has the legal mandate to perform full regulatory duties. This is something that Marc Ratner, UFC Vice President of Regulatory Affairs, hopes for all IMMAF members to achieve in areas that are frequented by the UFC. The promotion is keen to move away from self-commissioning (out of necessity) to independent third party sanctioning worldwide, as is the norm anywhere where a sport is recognised and regulated and well established under US state athletic commissions. Ahead of UFC Dublin on October 24 Kerrith Brown and Densign White, alongside IMMAF Anti-doping Consultant Michele Verroken, met with UFC Vice President of Athlete Health & Performance, Jeff Novitzky, and Marc Ratner, to discuss how the organisations can work together to tackle doping. This was a key meeting that has sparked an ongoing dialogue. The IMMAF currently operates WADA compliant drug testing at all IMMAF Championship events with a view to also conduct out-of-competition testing. “Sweden provides a good model of a working relationship between the national federation and the government. The challenge that we have is to get IMMAF’s international Federations recognised by their own governments and then to become a fully backed sanctioning bodies. Among our 50 members we have around 29 Federations currently operating with their National Olympic Committees and recognized by their government. As we start to develop our key Amateur MMA events such as the Europeans and other continental Opens then governments will start to recognize the sport, coupled with what the UFC does on a professional level globally.” In November of 2015 the IMMAF completed its second international championships of the year with Birmingham playing host to the inaugural IMMAF European Open, sponsored by the UFC. Mr Brown believes that the fruitful partnership between IMMAF and UFC surpassed all expectations in 2015 and he looks ahead to raising the bar even further over the next eleven months. “We delivered a lot in 2015 and are looking to raise the bar further in 2016. We’re setting the structures in place that will enable governments to identify the sport as legitimate. Bringing through future generations of athletes through well regulated educational pathways will make MMA’s sporting status undeniable, as will continued youth development which will stand the test of time. All this can be achieved through good governance, transparency and setting standards with clear goals. “There is now a clear opportunity for recreational amateurs who are on the fringe on competing. They can now look in and see a clear pathway to begin travelling with the IMMAF.” ]]>
