A board meeting on December 21 saw Peru and Montenegro approved as IMMAF’s latest members as the international governing body for amateur MMA continues its global expansion.
The Asociación Peruana de Mixed Martial Arts (APMMA) became the twenty-ninth approved member in Pan America, while the MMA Federation of Montenegro became the forty-fifth approved member in Europe.
Headed by David Dacko Iberico Celis, the APMMA has been actively exploring new avenues to develop the sport nationally. Prior to approval, the federation welcomed IMMAF Director of Development Andrew Moshanov to establish an understanding of the national federation and the principles of its operation.
National Championships are already being held in Peru and attract approximately 250-300 athletes. The most recent set of championships was used as a selection process for the World Championships as Peru looks to debut on the IMMAF platform in 2023.
Alen Dzankic will serve as President of the MMA Federation of Montenegro, which has been active since September 2021. Despite the federation being founded just over a year ago, significant work has gone into growing the sport nationally over the last ten years.
Since its inception, the federation has ensured opportunities to develop the sport have been made available, including national championships and coaching courses. Montenegro has already shown an interest in competing at the 2022 IMMAF World Championships and is expected to debut at the competition.
