Picture: IMMAF officials team, 2016 World Championships. Earlier this month Las Vegas was turned into a hub for developing MMA talent as the 2016 IMMAF World Championships welcomed over 200 Amateur competitors from countries and continents around the world, contested from July 5th to July 10th, culminating at the UFC Fan Expo. In addition to the wealth of diverse competitors who support the flourishing IMMAF platform, there is also the army of dedication referees and judges all on their own progression pathway through certification as developing officials, serving their time and accumulating experience at the Amateur level. Led by veteran UFC official Marc Goddard, who serves as IMMAF’s Regulatory Affairs Consultant and Certification Course leader, the #2016IMMAFWorlds provided a diverse team of 24 certified referees and judges welcoming both male and female officials from across 18 nations, including graduates of National courses and IMMAF certification who are subject to ongoing assessment and advancement as they continue to gain further experience. The officials team of referees and judges for the 2016 IMMAF World Championships included: Senior officials (cage supervisors): Scott Manhardt – Romanian MMA Federation (Nationality: American) Peter Hickmott – IMMAF of Australia Justin Brown – USA MMA Federation Officials: Mark Craig – New Zealand MMA Federation Mihail Mihailovici – Romanian MMA Federation Vito Paolillo – FIGMMA (Italy) Paulo De Oliveira – CAPMMA (Portugal) Dean Weir – UK MMA Federation Andy Haigh – UK MMA Federation Cameron Quinn – IMMAF of Australia Ferdinand Basson – MMA South Africa Prasad Gaitonde – All India MMA Association Sharif Mohammed Bapu – All India MMA Association Torsten Hass – German MMA Federation Valer Papp – Hungarian MMA League Doug Burch – USA MMA Federation Yeimy Ariza – OCAMM (Colombia) Lassi Minkkinen – Finnish MMA Federation Vankimmenade Axel – Belgian MMA Federation Neil Swailes – New Zealand MMA Federation Paweł Harasim – Polish MMA Federation Piotr Michalak – Polish MMA Federation Antonio García – FELUCHA (Spain) Guilherme Bravo – Brazilian MMA Athletic Commission]]>
