- LAUNCH OF ASIAN MMA FEDERATION OFFICIALLY ANNOUNCED TO NATIONAL MEDIA
- ALIEV TALKS ABOUT HIS PATHWAY TO UFC
- ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE TAJIKISTAN TEAM CELEBRATED
From October 27th to 30th, the 2022 IMMAF Asian Championships were held for the first time in the capital of sunny Tajikistan, Dushanbe. On finals day, a press conference was held with the participation of the following official representatives prior to the competition:
- Kerrith Brown – President of IMMAF
- Davron Juraev – TAJMMAF President, Vice President of Asian MMA Federation
- Wissam Abi Nader – IMMAF Board Director for Asia
- Mohammed Qambr – Asian MMA Federation President, Bahrain Federation President
- Nurullo Aliyev – UFC Fighter, Tajikistan
During the conference, topics discussed included the Championships; the national team of Tajikistan; the founding of the Asian MMA Federation; Nurullo Aliyev’s journey to UFC and athlete development; and forecasts for the further growth of the sport of MMA in Tajikistan
Asked about IMMAF being in its 10th year and expectations following the Tajikistan MMA Federation’s dynamic activity over the previous two years, IMMAF President Kerrith Brown said:
“The IMMAF has been operating for 10 years, and over the past two years the Tajik national team has joined the top ranks of IMMAF fighters. They have been able to show very good results. We are pleasantly surprised that in just two years the Tajik national team has won more than 70 medals. The team has contributed to raising the level of competition among participating countries.”
2022 IMMAF ASIAN CHAMPIONSHIPS & TAJIKISTAN TEAM
Commenting on the hosting of the 2022 IMMAF Asian Championships, TAJMMAF President Davron Juraev said:
“Personally, it is a great honour and pride for me that a tournament of this level has taken place in Dushanbe and our athletes have shown excellent results. We are still fighting for first place but this competition has given an excellent indicator. In the future, we will be working to develop our fighters and, as the IMMAF President said, we look forward to maybe even holding a World Championships – why not?”
Speaking of the successes of the host nation team (ultimately 35 medals, 9 of which were gold), TAJMMAF President Davron Juraev said:
“Our goal was not to lower the standard set by our athletes at the 2021 World Championship in Abu Dhabi, and we hoped to meet the expectations for the Asian Championship both in the professional sports sense and the level of organisation and hospitality. “
Tajikistan indeed surely proved that it does not intend to lower the bar.
LAUNCH OF THE ASIAN MMA FEDERATION
Speaking of the launch of the Asian MMA Federation, TAJMMAF President Davron Juraev said:
“Today, Dushanbe is developing very rapidly and all the infrastructures that you see, including the building in which this championship is held, has all the conditions to meet world standards. Also, dear ladies and gentlemen, we would like to announce the news, fortunately just yesterday the leadership of the IMMAF formalised the launch of a new federation, namely the Asian MMA Federation.
“Mr. Muhammad Qambar was officially elected as the new president of the Asian MMA Federation and my candidacy was proposed and approved as the first vice-president of the federation and representatives of other countries were also involved. I want to note that this is a very great responsibility granted through the decision of the IMMAF federation and the new federations throughout Asia. We will promote this sport, foster cooperation between judges, doctors and coaches, and of course together develop the younger generation to create great champions.
“I also want to state that the head office will be in Dushanbe, of which we are just as proud.”
NURULLO ALIYEV
During the conference, UFC Nurullo Aliyev discussed his career, which has seen him reach the top of the sport from a strong amateur background.
Asked about his intentions to build his own team from Tajikistan, in the way that Khabib has out of Dagestan. Nurullo said that at the moment it will be a little difficult, as it is not so easy to make the move to America, but this is in his future plans of course.
The TAJMMAF hopes to develop the infrastructure to foster more future UFC and elite professionals through its amateur MMA pathway and continental championships circuit.
