2020 Oceania Open Championships
The International Mixed Martial Arts Federation’s nation vs nation, MMA tournament played out from 6–8 March at the Gold Coast Recreation Centre from 10:30 hrs daily (AEST/GMT + 10). The Finals were live and free to view at IMMAF.TV.
Star names representing Australia include women’s strawweight contender, Olivia Ukmar, who won Australia’s first World Silver medal in MMA at the 2019 IMMAF World Championships, and Abdul Mahdawi, who returns to the Oceania Championships as a former silver medallist.
Top ranking IMMAF international male talent included: World and European Gold medallist, Ireland’s Ryan Spillane (heavyweight); Bahrain’s Ramazan Gitinov (welterweight) and Murtaza Talha Ali (light-heavyweight); plus world champion, the UK prodigy Muhammad Mokaev (bantamweight).
International women’s talent included Ukraine’s 2018 World Gold medallist Daria Samchik; Sweden’s two-time World Silver medallist Nina Back (strawweight), World Gold medallist Bianca Antman (flyweight) and World Gold medallist Bezhan Mahmudi (atomweight); Finland’s 2018 IMMAF Performance of the Year winner Jenni Kivioja (lightweight); 2018 European Gold medallist Jenna Horto (strawweight); Poland’s European Gold medallist and Junior World Gold medallist Magdalena Czaban (atomweight) and New Zealand’s reigning World Gold medallist and Oceania champion, Michelle Montague (lightweight).*
Gold Coast
The Gold Coast is a stunning tourist destination in Queensland, Australia with its sunny subtropical climate. It is renowned for its surfing beaches, theme parks, nightlife, and rainforest hinterland. The city hosted the Commonwealth Games in 2018.
Richie Cranny, President of host federation, the International Mixed Martial Arts Federation Australia (IMMAFA) said:
“As President of IMMAFA I would like to personally extend an invitation to all IMMAF federations around the world to attend the 2020 IMMAF Oceania in March, on Australia’s amazing Gold Coast in Queensland.
“I understand that Australia and New Zealand are a long way away for many athletes and coaches to travel to, but we intend on putting on a great three-day event in a location that will be hard to beat, ensuring we reward all those that make the trip.
“2020 will become a timestamp of change for IMMAF in our region and we look forward to welcoming as many athletes and federations as possible in joining us.”
