From December 4-5, IMMAF President Kerrith Brown and IMMAF Director Wissam Abi Nader were invited to Cyprus to attend CFC 7 and speak at the American University of Cyprus (AUCY).
CFC 7 was a stacked card with bouts ranging from professional to youth. Youth world bronze medalist Kritonas Panagi was amongst the athletes in action.
The following day at the American University Cyprus, Brown and Abi Nader held a questions and answers session for students.
AUCY President Dr Marc Zabbal said:
“As a fellow Judoka, all martial arts are welcomed here at AUCY, as one of the most effective responses to drugs, health issues, and depression is sports.
“On behalf of AUCY, I would proudly welcome the head of the International MMA Federation, Kerrith Brown, accompanied by the head of the international board of directors, Mr Wissam Abi Nader.
“And, of course, Mr Stefanos Charalampous, head of MMA Cyprus. I would like to thank the honourable MMA president and both the international and local MMA boards for their generous visit to our campus. Finally, I invite our students and staff to join this fast-growing sport.”
The university plans to incorporate the sport of MMA in the near future, which will aid the sport nationally and may see even more athletes representing Cyprus on the IMMAF stage. Following the trip, Kerith Brown commented:
“It was great to visit Cyprus to discuss MMA and the development of the sport in the nation. Having the involvement of the federation is vital to ensure that everything is certified, and with them, it will have a further impact on the growth of the sport.”
Wissam Abi Nader added:
“It was a pleasure, as always, to show everyone the true image of the sport of MMA and how it is a sport for everyone that is safe to practise and to compete in. It was an honour to be in Cyprus and see how the sport has developed there.”
