The 2025 IMMAF Youth World Championships concluded in style after seven days of non-stop action. Hundreds of athletes converged in Al Ain to showcase the future of mixed martial arts, and they left a lasting impression.
From an unforgettable duel between Ukraine and England to the crowning of several new world champions and the cementing of youth legacies in the IMMAF world, these championships truly fulfilled their purpose of providing young competitors with the ultimate proving ground to test their skills against other world-class athletes.
The Light Heavyweight and Middleweight divisions played a decisive role in securing Team Ukraine the overall title of top national team at this year’s Youth World Championships. Even though England pushed them to the limit, the Ukrainians added two Gold medals on the final day of competition to seal the result.
First, Oleksandr Roshak defeated Ghafurjon Ghafurov of Tajikistan to earn the Middleweight title, winning three out of his four matches by submission. Then, Maksym Ilin rebounded from a loss earlier in the tournament to claim Gold at Light Heavyweight, also overcoming a Tajik opponent to take the title.
In the final match of the tournament, Nemanja Blagojevic continued his dominance in the Youth A Heavyweight division. The Serbian standout became a two-time world champion, adding to his two European Gold medals. This year, Blagojevic won all three of his bouts by submission, including a rare Von Flue choke.
The final day also featured thrilling action in the Lightweight division, where Team USA’s David Daniels won five successive bouts to earn his nation’s last Gold medal of the tournament. In the Super Lightweight category, Austria’s Rachim Isaev impressed with a five-win campaign to secure his title.The Super Welterweight and Super Middleweight divisions also saw standout title runs: Lebanon’s Charbel Abou Rahal battled his way to Gold in the former, while Firdavs Razzqoov dominated the latter to deliver Tajikistan’s eighth Gold medal of the Youth World Championships.
