By Frank Bonada
At the 2024 IMMAF World Championships, England’s Micah Matibiri will make his long-awaited IMMAF debut on the biggest global stage in amateur MMA.
A 5-1 lightweight from Fearless MMA in Birmingham, Matibiri has made a name for himself with a dominant run through the UK regional scene. After suffering his first amateur loss to Daniel Hughes at FCC 39, Matibiri decided to take his development to the next level by testing his skills against the world’s best.
Speaking with IMMAF TV, Matibiri shared his mindset ahead of his first IMMAF competition:
“First time competing in IMMAF. I’m excited. I can’t wait to go out there, showcase my skills and show me as a fighter… There’s always extra pressure when you fight. The stakes are high but that’s when I perform best. When the pressure’s all on you, pressure makes diamonds, and I’m a diamond in the rough.”
For the first time in his amateur career, Matibiri won’t just be representing his gym; he’ll be representing his country. Reflecting on the significance of this responsibility, he said:
“It’s a great honour, to be honest. I want to repay the faith that the teams had in me. For me to go out there and represent, it’s a big honour. So I’m fighting against the world’s best fighters. I’m considered one of the best fighters in England. So I’ve got to show out.”
One of the standout features of IMMAF competition is the unique team dynamic it fosters. While Micah Matibiri will be stepping into the cage to fight his individual battles at the 2024 IMMAF World Championships in Uzbekistan, he’ll be supported by the entire Team England squad. Joining him from Fearless MMA are teammates Joshua Adeboye and Harry Price, while Cheikh Mane will be representing Senegal.
“Having Josh (Adeboye), Cheikh (Mane), Harry (Price), these are guys that really help me with the training because we’re all going to be competing at the IMMAF Worlds,” said Matibiri. “So we can talk through the techniques, what we’re looking to do when we compete… We’re all kind of doing the same thing. We’ve got the same goal. We all want to be world champions.”
Matibiri and his fellow Team England athletes have a significant legacy to uphold at this year’s IMMAF World Championships. In 2023, England’s Lisa Zimmo secured gold in the Women’s Senior Featherweight division, while Matibiri’s teammate, Jack Humphries, was victorious in the semi-finals but was unfortunately sidelined by injury.
Despite the high bar these past accomplishments have set, Matibiri welcomes the added pressure and embraces the opportunity to compete in the unique IMMAF format:
“I think it’s amazing,” he said. “You get the sense of fighting the best. But I feel like in that scenario, the pressure’s there, but you’re not getting the massive, crazy crowds. So you can really showcase your skills and hone yourself as a complete athlete.”
“I’ve had the quick KO’s, I’ve had the highlight reels. I’ve done that on the regional scene. I’ve fought on the bigger shows on the regional scene, but for me, I’m trying to be the best in the world… I feel like going on the world stage is the only way to do that. IMMAF provides that. So that was the only step.”
Competing in the Senior Lightweight division, Matibiri’s route to gold will be no easy path. The likes of Ivan Kurelaru (Ukraine), Jordan Scully (Ireland) and Neimat Assadov (Kazakhstan) have already proven their abilities with strong performances in IMMAF Continental events earlier this year, making the stakes ever higher.
Catch every moment of the Senior Lightweight division action LIVE at IMMAF.tv
