'It's Done!': German MMA Federations Officially Merge to Form Single National Governing Body

Pictured: GEMMAF president Clemens Werner (left) alongside GAMMAF president Adrian Bakos (right) By IMMAF.org lead writer, Jorden Curran The German MMA Federation (GEMMAF) has announced confirmation of a complete and total merger with former rival national body, the German Amateur MMA Federation (GAMMAF). Following previous meetings and commitments to cooperate, a final meeting was held on Saturday (November 5), to agree upon unified statutes and for board elections. IMMAF affiliate, GEMMAF, and WMMAA affiliate, GAMMAF, first held talks last June in Bucharest, during the week of the 2018 IMMAF European Open Championships. On a global scale, discussions became a requirement in 2018 as only one national organisation can be recognised following the amalgamation of the International Mixed Martial Arts Federation (IMMAF) and the World Mixed Martial Arts Association (WMMAA). Germany’s unified body will retain the title of ‘GEMMAF’, led by the following board members: President: Clemens Werner Vice-President of Professional Sport: Adrian Bakos Vice-President of Competitive Amateur Sport: Lutz Heyden Vice-President of Recreational Sport: Michael Wachter Vice-President Treasurer: Maryna Ivashko Targets of the national body include:

• Recognition for the sport of MMA in Germany
• Further Development of regional and national amateur championships
• Establishing national rankings
• Continued development of the German national amateur team.

‘In recent months there has already been excellent cooperation between both bodies,’ read a GEMMAF statement. ‘From now on, together with united forces we will pursue our goals as the biggest MMA association in Germany. This is another big step to organize the German MMA scene, make it safer, establish standards and burnish the image.’ IMMAF president Kerrith Brown commented: “Since the amalgamation of IMMAF and WMMAA, Germany has been among the nations to set a terrific example in mirroring our united effort at a national level. I congratulate the members of GEMMAF and GAMMAF on this great development and for all that they have achieved previously as separate entities. We can now look forward to an inspiring future for German MMA.”    WMMAA president Vadim Finkelchtein commented: “I am very proud of the both German federations in finalising their merger. They are leading by example and proving that our sport is strong and united. I want to thank GAMMAF and GEMMAF for supporting the unified international federation (IMMAF and WMMAA) and helping us make history together.”]]>