Pictured above: IMMAF World Champion Will Starks (blue) completes a stunning take down of Silver medalist Alexander Martinez (Red) 2016 was the biggest year to date for IMMAF with a plethora of development on both the competitive platform as well as in the realm of sport regulation. The competition year kicked off with the 2016 World Championships in Las Vegas, taking place during UFC 200 International Fight Week and culminating at the UFC Fan Expo with the likes of Dan Hardy and the Nogueira Brothers in attendance. Anti-doping testing was carried through from the previous year, and for the first time, Amateur MMA athletes competed wearing red and blue rash guards, shorts and shin guards, bringing a visual impact that is in tune with top amateur level combat sport around the world. The number of IMMAF Member nations excelled beyond 60 and continues to climb. Among the approved national governing bodies to be welcomed to the IMMAF family this year were, China, Singapore, Russia, Mexico, Thailand, Georgia, Spain, Egypt, Luxembourg and the Bahamas. Nations around the world hosted the flourishing IMMAF Certification Courses that are on offer. Internationally renowned referee Marc Goddard leads the way in official certification for referees and judges, and veteran cutman Joe Clifford introduced his own IMMAF approved course bringing education and high standards to developing seconds. Below are 5 of the top moments that took place under the IMMAF banner in 2016:
Onsite Brain Scans Introduced at Amateur Championships
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Bulgarian Talent Flourishes
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Bulgaria finished 2016 as the no.2 ranked nation after displaying some of the best potential in the world for developing grass roots talent into top flight amateur champions who will go on to become promising contenders at the professional level. Most promising of all, Bulgaria celebrated 5 champions at the 2016 European Open, 3 of whom earned Gold while under 21 years of age. These champions included 20-year-old Ferdun Osmanov (Men’s Lightweight) and 19-year-olds Nikolay Nikolov (Welterweight) and Atanas Krastanov (Super-Heavyweight). In addition, 26-year-old Strawweight World Champion Aleksandra Toncheva (pictured above) retained her European Open title, in addition to two-time European Open Heavyweight Champion Daniel Galabarov, 25. In 2017 the Bulgarian MMA Federation (BULMMAF) will host the European Open Championships in the nation’s capital, Sofia, from March 29 to April 2.
First IMMAF Africa Open Championships
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2016 was historic for Mixed Martial Arts South Africa (MMASA) as the government supported regulatory body hosted the first Africa Open Championships in Johannesburg from 29 August – September 4. Continuing from the momentum of Pieter Roedulf Roets winning Welterweight Gold at the 2016 World Championships, South Africa’s amateurs put on a strong showing on home soil and finished 2016 in the no.3 ranked position with encouraging signs of growing community participation in the region. The Afria Open returns to Johannesburg in 2017 from August 28 to September 2.
Ringblom and Sweden Claim Top Ranked Positions
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USA’s Will Starks Becomes a Two-Time IMMAF World Champion
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