By João Vitor Xavier
The 2025 IMMAF Youth World Championships concluded last Sunday following seven days of non-stop action, offering MMA fans worldwide an exciting glimpse into the sport’s future.
From remarkable national team performances to record-breaking social media reach and athlete participation, this year’s event in Al Ain stands as the largest and most impactful Youth World Championships in the history of amateur MMA.
A total of 53 nations descended upon the Al Ain Convention Centre, where more than 1,000 athletes competed for Gold, Silver, and Bronze across multiple divisions. The event was hosted in spectacular fashion by the UAE MMA Federation, whose efforts set a new benchmark for international amateur competition. A record-breaking 36 nations won at least one medal, highlighting the true international flavour of the competition.
Online, the tournament achieved unprecedented success. IMMAF’s digital platforms recorded over 16 million views, demonstrating the growing global reach and increasing appetite for elite amateur MMA content.
Among the standout performers were Team Ukraine and Team England, who dominated the medal table. Ukraine topped the charts with 15 Gold medals, narrowly edging England, who earned 13 Golds. Both nations saw major improvements from 2024, where Ukraine had secured seven titles and England just four.
Team Mexico doubled their gold medal count from last year, finishing with two world champions. Meanwhile, Brazil celebrated its first-ever Youth IMMAF medals, a sign of Latin America’s rising influence at the grassroots level.
One of the event’s most dominant athletes was Zlata Klein (Women’s Youth B, 52kg), who secured Gold for Ukraine with five consecutive victories, all by armbar submission.
Team England’s Adams sisters, Lilah and Bella, continued their remarkable runs, each winning Gold in their respective categories. With back-to-back Youth World titles and 2025 European Championship wins, both are on historic IMMAF trajectories.
Outside of the top two teams, Tajikistan also impressed. The team collected eight Gold medals, led by Muhammadjon Pirov, who secured gold with an extraordinary run of consecutive seven victories.
As the curtain falls on the 2025 Youth World Championships, the momentum behind amateur MMA shows no signs of slowing. Next, IMMAF heads to Georgia for the 2025 IMMAF World Championships, kicking off on September 27.
