PLUS: Denitza Batchvarova (USA) welcomed for first face:face meetings as recently appointed board director
History was made at the 2019 European Open Championships last weekend, with the first joint meeting of the IMMAF board with WMMAA nominees to the board, ahead of elections at the November AGM in Bahrain.
This meeting in Rome was a decisive milestone in the World Governing Body’s quest for recognition, as it proved that one, legitimate and credible organisation has now replaced two rival bodies, which had been founded independently from within the MMA community. The companies merged as a legal entity in 2018, with WMMAA staff joining the IMMAF team.
IMMAF President Kerrith Brown said:
“I am delighted to see how our desire to overcome rivalry in the sport of Mixed Martial Arts has led to this day. Our brand is growing in strength through our drive for new members, our organisation of major championship events, our protocols that raise the bar for MMA safety. We are also constantly refining our regulatory developments and the implementation of progression pathways and educational licensing courses. Together, we have built a compelling case to gain GAISF Observer recognition.”
WMMAA President Vadim Finkelchtein said:
“As President of WMMAA, it’s an honour for my team to take part in our first joint meeting. I am confident that we will be able to take the sport of MMA to a new level internationally. By joining forces, we have become a truly global organisation and are offering world class services to our National Federations and Athletes. “
WMMAA Board members present were Vadim Finkelchtein, Viktor Frolov, Svetlana Odintsova, Galimzhan Yessenov, Tatiana Klimenko and Han Jiuli, and a wide ranging discussion led to a renewed commitment to providing world class representation and support for the athlete participants and National Federations of amateur Mixed Martial Arts.
Competition week for the European Championships also saw first face: face board meetings with recently appointed, non-executive director, Dentiza Batchvarova. With a background in investment banking at Citigroup, Deni currently works as Senior Vice President of Strategy for UFC, overseeing corporate development, FP&A, research and analytics, and data management.
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