Following a series of recent high-level strategic meetings with key global stakeholders, IMMAF is pleased to confirm that discussions are progressing positively regarding a substantial expansion of long-term commercial, media, and developmental support from Q3 2026 onwards.
The discussions involve existing international partners together with major organisations operating across the global MMA, media, broadcasting, and sports investment sectors, focusing on a significant multi-year commercial growth strategy intended to strengthen IMMAF’s global position and operational capacity over the next five-year cycle.
As part of this next phase of development, IMMAF is also in advanced negotiations regarding international broadcasting, media rights, and commercial distribution connected to the development and launch of the new IMMAF Grand Slam series.
The IMMAF Grand Slam initiative is being developed as a flagship international platform within the amateur and elite athlete pathway system, creating a sustainable international elite athlete pathway within the global MMA ecosystem.
The proposed expanded support and investment structure is designed to significantly enhance IMMAF’s long-term operational and financial capabilities across multiple strategic areas, including:
• Governance and international federation development
• Youth, junior and senior athlete pathways
• Safeguarding and athlete welfare programmes
• Anti-doping and integrity systems
• Continental and World Championship expansion
• Coach, referee and official education programmes
• International training camps and athlete development exchanges
• Global broadcasting and media distribution
• Commercial event growth through the IMMAF Grand Slam series
• Long-term operational reserves and financial sustainability
• Strategic global partnerships and infrastructure development
• Potential National Federation development support initiatives, including equipment, athlete resources, and grassroots infrastructure programmes
As part of IMMAF’s long-term strategic vision, the federation is also expanding its role in supporting National Federations to strengthen relationships with professional promoters, broadcasters, governments, and commercial stakeholders in order to develop sustainable MMA ecosystems within their respective countries.
This includes supporting National Federations in gaining governmental recognition, strengthening regulatory frameworks, improving athlete development systems, and creating pathways for major international MMA events and promotions to enter new markets and territories.
Examples of this ongoing strategic support include the role IMMAF and its National Federations have played in helping support the regulatory and governance progress surrounding the development of MMA in France, as well as the continued emergence of Serbia as a growing international MMA hub through strategic federation partnerships, athlete development structures, and international event growth.
IMMAF believes that collaboration between amateur development systems, professional promotions, national governments, broadcasters, and commercial partners is essential for the long-term growth, legitimacy, regulation, and sustainability of mixed martial arts globally.
One of the key developments IMMAF is particularly proud of is the continued evolution of mixed martial arts into a mature and increasingly self-sustaining international sport ecosystem.
The sport is now increasingly developing athletes directly through structured MMA pathways from grassroots level upward. This represents a major milestone in the continued maturation, legitimacy, and long-term sustainability of mixed martial arts as a standalone international sport.
Through structured youth, junior, and senior development pathways, IMMAF is now seeing a new generation of athletes who have been trained specifically in mixed martial arts from the grassroots level upward, with integrated skill sets, athlete education, safeguarding systems, coaching standards, and long-term athlete development structures built directly around MMA.
This evolution is creating a more sustainable sporting ecosystem while also respecting the integrity, history, and independence of other combat sports and their individual disciplines.
IMMAF’s continued international expansion is also reflected in growing athlete participation, increasing National Federation engagement, and expanding collaboration with governmental, regulatory, and sporting institutions across multiple continents.
IMMAF also believes that the continued long-term development of MMA globally requires coherent governance structures, athlete protection standards, regulatory consistency, and international institutional cooperation.
IMMAF believes this long-term development trend will continue to accelerate globally as more National Federations, governments, coaches, athletes, broadcasters, and commercial stakeholders recognise the value of structured amateur mixed martial arts development pathways built specifically for the sport itself.
The scale and direction of these ongoing discussions reflect increasing international confidence in IMMAF’s governance framework, commercial strategy, global leadership position, regulatory model, athlete development systems, and long-term sustainability strategy.
IMMAF is now entering a new phase of strategic and commercial growth, aimed at strengthening the federation’s global footprint, enhancing financial stability, expanding international partnerships, and securing the long-term future of amateur mixed martial arts worldwide.
IMMAF remains committed to ensuring that the global growth of MMA is supported by strong governance, athlete welfare systems, safeguarding standards, regulatory integrity, anti-doping compliance, and long-term institutional sustainability.
The federation remains fully committed to professionalism, transparency, governance integrity, athlete safety, safeguarding, anti-doping compliance, and the continued advancement of mixed martial arts within the international sporting landscape.
Further announcements regarding strategic commercial partnerships, investment structures, media agreements, international expansion initiatives, and development programmes will be released in due course.
As part of IMMAF’s continued international development strategy, the federation will also host the inaugural IMMAF World MMA Summit in Abu Dhabi during the 2026 Youth World Championships, bringing together international stakeholders from across governance, athlete development, safeguarding, regulation, media, education, and commercial sectors to discuss the future global development of mixed martial arts.
