Federation: Federazione Italiana Grappling Mixed Martial Arts (FIGMMA) Number of competitors: 10 The Italian National Team has had its fair share of success in IMMAF competition, as it looks to make #HistoryAgain at the 2016 IMMAF World Championships. The Italian amateur team has forged a pattern of producing the next wave of professional fighters on the IMMAF platform. In 2014 Alessio Di Chirico claimed a Light-Heavyweight Gold medal and has since become the first IMMAF veteran to debut in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, winning his debut fight. If history has taught us anything it’s that members of the Italian National Team who have competed in more than one major IMMAF tournament have generally gone on to earn greater success. In 2014, both Micol Di Segni and Lucrezia Ria performed well in the women’s Flyweight and Bantamweight divisions, earning themselves IMMAF Bronze. A year later, both Di Segni and Ria would defy the odds to better their 2014 outings and become IMMAF Gold medallists. Since the Worlds, Di Segni has kick-started a flourishing professional MMA career. Reigning 135lb IMMAF European Silver medallist Marco Zannetti will be a key member of the 2016 Italian team. Zannetti holds previous IMMAF World Championships experience, having claimed the Bantamweight Bronze medal at the 2015 Worlds. His only tournament loss came at the hands of eventual finalist and Silver medal winner, Nurtilek Konashov. However, the Italian squad not only boasts returning participants, but also new blood in the form of upcoming talent such as Simone Cancelli and Daniele Dell’Otto. Both athletes rocked the boat at the FIGMMA National Trials when they beat 2015 European Open Bronze Medalists Paolo Anastasi and Asterio Lucchesini respectively to secure a place in the squad. Attend the 2016 IMMAF World Championships at UFC International Fight Week™ in Las Vegas, Nevada (USA): July 5 – 7, Las Vegas Convention Center FREE ENTRY July 8 & 10, UFC Fan Expo® BUY TICKETS: ufc.com/event-ticket-info FOLLOW the results live at mynextmatch.com or on Twitter at @IMMAFed]]>
2016 World Championships: Team Italy in Focus
