IMMAF | Who we are

Board | Honorary Board Members | Honorary Presidents | Administration Team | Committees

Board | Honorary Board Members

Honorary Presidents | Administration Team

Committees

BOARD

Kerrith Brown

President, UK

BIO

Kerrith Brown was appointed as President of the International Mixed Martial Arts Federation (IMMAF), following election by unanimous board vote in Berlin on 20th June 2015.

Following discussions with both the EJU and the BJA Board, Kerrith Brown had resigned as Chairman of the British Judo Association due to ideological differences with the leadership of the European Judo Union and the International Judo Federation.

Under Brown’s leadership since 2012, British Judo went from strength to strength, most markedly opening the doors of its Centre of Excellence at the University of Wolverhampton (UK) in 2013. The centre heralded the launch of a new performance programme for British athletes. Brown also oversaw a transformation in the governance of the BJA. Brown is himself a former elite level judoka, at his peak earning bronze for Great Britain at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. Since his retirement from competition, he has pursued a successful career in business, as owner, manager and consultant.

Under Brown too, the BJA significantly lent professional sports consultancy and support to the development of the United Kingdom Mixed Martial Arts Federation (UKMMAF), to enable its application for official recognition by Sport England. It was through this relationship that Brown was recommended for and voted to a position on the IMMAF Board in October 2014. Brown has featured notably in the successes of IMMAF since his involvement.

For communications for IMMAF President Kerrith Brown contact: [email protected]

George Sallfeldt

Vice President, Sweden

BIO

With an MBA in Financial Management from the Stockholm School of Economics, George Sallfeldt works as CEO for Morningstar Sweden AB, in the financial sector.

With previous experience of 4 years in Anti-doping for the Swedish Sports Confederation, Sallfeldt took the position of President of the Swedish Mixed Martial Arts Federation in 2011 where he served at the helm until March 2014.

Tatiana Klimenko

Director, Russia

BIO

Tatiana has worked in MMA for over 8 years. With a Masters Degree in Public Relations, Tatiana started working in the promotion of MMA because she had fallen in love with the sport. She worked with the World Mixed Martial Arts Association from its early days starting as PA to the President and then becoming Secretary General and finally, Executive Director. She remains Events Manager for M-1 Global and also works on the IMMAF Administration Team, since the IMMAF – WMMAA merger, as Member Relations Director and managing Participant Operations for IMMAF Championships. She has managed the first two IMMAF| WMMAA Amateur MMA Awards.

Galimzhan Yessenov

Director, Kazakhstan

BIO
Galimzhan is President of the Kazakh National Public Union of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) Federation and President of the Association of United MMA federations of Kazakhstan

He stands as Chairman of the Board of Directors for ATF Bank JSC and Chairman of the Supervisory Board for KNG. FINANCE LLP.

His educational background includes attendance at the Eurasian Academy of Economics and Management, where he obtained a B.S. in Economics and Management before going onto KAZGYU University, to achieve a LLB inJurisprudence, and then the University of Chicago Booth School of Business to earn an Executive MBA

Galminzhan’s credits include:
- Vice-President of the Kazakhstan Triathlon Association
- President of the Central Asian Triathlon
- Association ASTC Executive Board Member
- Head of the Public Association “Almaty Triathlon Federation”
- President of the National Public Association the “Kazakhstan Chess Federation”
- Founder and Creator of the Shakhmardan Yessenov Science and Education Foundation, honouring the work of the outstanding Kazakh scientist and member of the Scientific Academy of Kazakhstan, the Geologist Dr Shakhmardan Yessenov.
- Chairman of the Board of the Corporate Trust “Dare to be First”, famous for organizing the biggest sporting event in the region: “Almaty Marathon”
Recipient of the order «Құрмет» (2018)

Bertrand Amoussou

Director, France

BIO

Bertrand Amoussou is a former Mixed Martial Artist and judoka who in 2008 became the president of the French governing body for MMA, the Commission Française de Mixed Martial Arts (CFMMA).

Born in Dakar, Senegal to a Beninese instructor of judo and karate, Amoussou moved to France aged 10 where he began his training in judo. Amoussou went on to become a national champion in judo and was a member of the French team for ten years, scoring a bronze medal at the 1990 European Judo Championships. Amoussou was also European champion, three-times world champion and world games winner in Ju-Jitsu Combat, additionally immersing himself in kickboxing under Dominique Valera.

Amoussou is the pionneer of MMA in France taking part in 1995 at the 1st international Vale Tudo Championship in Rio De Janeiro. In 2004, he made waves as the first and only French competitor to win at Pride FC. He also served as an ambassador for ju-jitsu at the 2010 SportAccord Combat Games in Beijing.

Amoussou has trained the French special forces (RAID) and works today as a TV consultant as well as teaching MMA at the famous Racing Club de France (RCF) academy.

Amoussou served as President of IMMAF from September 2013 through to June 2015.

Tom Madsen

Director, Germany

BIO

Tom Madsen is the founder of the German MMA Federation & Krav Maga Survival. He has gained long experience across many martial arts over the years. Past stand out achievements include being part of the WKA National Kickboxing Team for Denmark, as well as Amateur World Champion in MMA and (twice) in Grappling. Madsen placed 2nd in the Kickboxing World Championships and took 3rd place at the Europeans in Pankration.

Madsen has been honoured with an 8th Dan in Kyokushin Budokai, IBK International Budo Kaikan – All Round Fighting, a 6th Dan in Kyokushin Karate and a 5th Dan in Kickboxing
Tom holds a Higher Diploma in International Business from Copenhagen Business College and studied for his MBA in Edingburg.

Wissam Abi Nader

Director, Lebanon

BIO

Having started training in Judo aged five, Wissam Abi Nader has developed a deep understanding of the core principles of all martial arts – respect, discipline, hard work and the physical challenge.

As Wissam progressed, he started to compete in Judo at national and international level. Among the many accolades he won in the sport Wissam can boast to being a 12-time consecutive Lebanese Judo champion, 1st West Asian Ju-Jitsu champion, he was runner-up in the Asian Sambo championships and placed 3rd in the Sambo World Cup in 2011. His success lead him into coaching and to eventually form his own team which also competed at international level. He was also given the honour of coaching the Lebanese National Sambo and Combat Sambo teams, with the latter placing first four-years running at the Arab Championships.

It was in 2001 that Wissam became hooked on MMA and is a pioneer of the sport’s development in the region. He is responsible, along with IMMAF consultant Dr Nadim Nassif, for creating the first MMA club in Lebanon. This lead to the formation of the Lebanese Mixed Martial Arts Committee. Wissam had the foresight to govern MMA under the umbrella of the already established Lebanese Judo Federation and has seen the sport go from strength to strength.

After organising the first Lebanese MMA Championship in 2010, Wissam was elected president of the Lebanese MMA Committee and oversaw the first ever Arab amateur MMA championship. Although a solid base, there was more to be achieved for Wissam who saw MMA as a sport that needed a structure from grassroots to professional level. He worked closely with FILA, a recognised sports federation by the Internal Olympic Committee, and this relationship lead him to the IMMAF.

Wissam is adamant the IMMAF must play a key role in ensuring that a grassroots structure is in place that will help the sport flourish and ultimately be recognised as an Olympic sport.

Raymond Phillips

Director, South Africa

BIO

Raymond is a former world champion kickboxer and current coach and administrator who is playing a key role in MMA development in South Africa.

Starting at the age seven, Raymond trained in Karate, competing internationally for South Africa and receiving his country’s national colours. He made the switch to kickboxing in his late 20s and has been an instructor as well as continued his training ever since. He started his own organisation in 2004 and has built it up to be one of the top three kickboxing organisations in South Africa.

Raymond opened up his school to other combat styles, including Muai Thai, Jiu-Jitsu and combat grappling as MMA gained more popularity. He trains seven professional MMA fighters and was privileged to coach his national team for the inaugural IMMAF World Championships in 2014 to win two titles.

He currently holds the positions of Vice-president for MMA-SA and President of Amateur MMA-SA. He is an executive member of the South African Kickboxing Association and chairperson of his province (Ekurhuleni) for kickboxing and MMA.

As part of his role for MMA-SA, Raymond is committed to creating an All-Africa MMA Championships as well as strengthening his country’s team ahead of the 2015 IMMAF World Championships.

Stewart Brain

Director, Australia

BIO

Olympian Stewart Brain has competed internationally in Judo since 1974, reaching the quarter finals of the Seoul Games in 1988 in the 73 kilo category.

He has been involved in the sports administration since 1985 and has served as National Administration Coaching Director, National Sports Commissioner and National Secretary for the Judo Federation Australia. He established the Kokodan Commission and Kata Commission of Australia and was also the Judo National Team coach.

Away from Judo Stewart runs his own construction business.

Denitza Batchvarova

Director, USA

BIO

Deni Batchvarova serves as Senior Vice President of Strategy for UFC, overseeing corporate development, FP&A, research and analytics, and data management.

Batchvarova works alongside the company’s most senior executives to develop growth strategies for key areas of the business, including live events, programming, consumer products, and global sponsorships.

During her seven years with UFC, Batchvarova has played a vital role in the company’s rapid growth and success, which fueled its record $4 billion sale to Endeavor in 2016.

Prior to joining UFC, Deni spent six years in investment banking at Citigroup in New York, working on M&A, equity and debt capital, and corporate restructuring transactions.

A native of Bulgaria, Deni graduated Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota, with a B.A. in Economics and Mathematics.

Han Juili

Director, China

BIO

Han Jiuli is Vice President of Chinese Boxing Federation and Department Minister of the MMA Department of Chinese Boxing Federation, charged with supervising the promotion and development of MMA as a sport in China.

As the Asia Regional Chairman of WMMAA (World MMA Association), Jiuli was responsible for the licensing and facilitation of large-scale MMA events, including M-1 and UFC, in China.

He oversaw the successful hosting of the 2016 WMMAA World Championships in Macau and the 2018 WMMAA Asian Championships in Harbin China. Jiuli is as an industry consultant to the General Administration of Sports of People’s Republic of China and former China National Judo Champion in the Absolute Division Following the IMMAF – WMMAA merger, Jiuli was voted to the IMMAF Board of Directors in November 2019.

Svetlana Odintsova

Director, Netherlands

BIO

Svetlana’s education and corporate background is in management and accountancy. She has worked as Cost Controller firstly for M-1 Nederland B.V. and now M-1 Global Holding since 2010.

Svetlana took on World Mixed Martial Arts Association’s administration and accountancy in 2012 and joined the WMMAA Member Governing Board as Treasurer in July 2014, where she held the position until WMMAA’s merger with IMMAF.

Svetlana was voted to the IMMAF Board in November 2019.

Karim Iskander

Director, Kazakhstan

Honorary Board Members

Frank Babcock

USA

BIO

Marketing and Broadcast Executive Frank Babcock is a Master Instructor of Hapkido and senior instructor of Tae Kwon Do and Jujitsu. He possesses long experience teaching competitors that include military and law enforcement personnel.

As President of UMMAF (USA Mixed Martial Arts Federation), Frank has combined 50 years of marketing and advertising experience with his extensive expertise in martial arts to drive forward full-combat competitive Amateur MMA in the US.

His work has included the development of TV programming that covers competitive combat sports for audiences across the United States. He also developed medical safety and legal standards for training and competition that are essential to the legalization of MMA: In coordination with officials from many states, Frank has been successful in standardising rules, refereeing and judging for Amateur combat sports.

Frank’s dedication to building a strong foundation in combat sports for Amateur athletes lead him to co found Karate International Council of Kickboxing (Kick International) in 1982 which evolved into the UMMAFKI Federation, a not-for-profit corporation formed under the federal standards of the Ted Stevens Olympic Amateur Sports Act.

Frank Babcock was a Board Director of IMMAF from 2013 to 2019.

Honorary Presidents

August Wallen

Sweden

BIO

August Wallén is the founder and first President of IMMAF from 29th of February 2012 through to 30th of September 2013. He was awarded the title of Honorary President at IMMAF’s first General Assembly on 12th July 2015.

Wallén is a pioneer in European martial arts, and one of the individuals riduals responsible for bringing MMA to Sweden. The 45 year old started training judo at age 12, kyokushin at 15 and Muay Thai (Thai boxing) at 16. He opened a martial arts academy in Gothenburg in 1992, which later became known as Gladius MMA.

Wallén first came in contact with what was to be called MMA in 1995, and he opened Fighter Centre, one of the biggest centres in the Nordics, in 2000. Today he is the chief instructor at Gladius MMA. He has trained and coached several prominent elite athletes, including MMA athlete Alexander Gustafsson.

As an athlete, Wallén competed in Shootfighting in the late 90’s and early 2000’s. He began his professional MMA career in 2006, and holds an eight win and one loss record (the loss was a decision to the Japanese veteran Yuki Kondo). He was The Zone FC middleweight champion. Wallén played a prominent role in saving MMA in Sweden in 2006, when proposed legislation sought to modify the existing ban on professional boxing to include MMA. Wallén founded the Swedish MMA Federation (SMMAF) in 2007 to oversee and sanction MMA, and served as the Chairman, a position he held until 2011. During this time, the Federation accomplished what many would have thought as impossible, including the recognition of MMA as a sport, establishment of an Amateur MMA league, and permission for events to have matches under the Unified Rules of MMA. Wallén has served on the board of the Swedish Budo & Martial Arts Federation for several years. He has also served on the board of the Swedish Submission Wrestling Federation and was responsible for bringing Muay Thai (thai boxing) into the Swedish Budo & Martial Arts Federation. Professionally Wallén has founded and operated several companies in different business areas from 1992 and onwards.

Wallén was awarded the Leader of the Year at the Swedish Martial Arts awards in 2011.

Vadim Finkelchtein

Russia

ADMINISTRATION TEAM

Densign White

Chief Executive Officer

BIO

Olympian Densign White was announced as the CEO of the International Mixed Martial Arts Federation (IMMAF) in November 2014.

The British judoka has past international sporting credentials that include triple Olympian, World Championship medallist, 5 times European medallist and Commonwealth Champion.

At the close of his competitive days, White chose to pursue a career in sports administration serving 11 years as the Chairman of the British Judo Association, from 2001 to 2012. He moved onto serve internationally as the European Judo Union Head Sports Director and has acted for 2 years as an executive member of the British Olympic Association. In total White has four decades of experience in judo under his belt, as athlete, coach and administrator; and continues to coach today.

In 2018, White was elected to the Council of the Sport Integrity Global Alliance (SIGA), an organisation founded to tackle corruption in sport by industry stakeholders.

White is the Chairman for Sporting Equals, which works to promote ethnic diversity in UK sport, and a trustee of the charity, the Tessa Sanderson Foundation.

Tatiana Klimenko

Member Relations Director

BIO

Tatiana is also a Board Director of IMMAF, following the 2019 General Assembly.
With 8 years professional experience in MMA and with a Masters Degree in Public Relations, Tatiana started working in the sport because she had fallen in love with it. She worked with the World Mixed Martial Arts Association from its early days starting as PA to the President and then becoming Secretary General and finally, Executive Director. She remains Events Manager for M-1 Global and also works on the IMMAF Administration Team, since the IMMAF – WMMAA merger, as Member Relations Director and managing Participant Operations for IMMAF Championships. She has managed the first two IMMAF| WMMAA Amateur MMA Awards.

Isobel Carnwath

Director of Brand and Communications

BIO

From a business background, Isobel (Izzy) Carnwath began working in MMA as a publicist and agent in 2010, with BAMMA and UFC fighters becoming key clients. She was Director of Communications at BAMMA from 2012 to the end of 2014.

In 2011, Izzy was among the founders of non-profit, medical project, SAFE MMA, project managing its launch. She became a Trustee when SAFE MMA registered as a Charity in 2018. Izzy was invited to join the interim board of the former United Kingdom Mixed Martial Arts Federation (UKMMAF) and was responsible for project planning, administration and funding from 2013 – 2015, in a voluntary capacity.

Izzy first worked for IMMAF in 2013 – 2014, providing cover for the Secretary General and support to the Tournament Director for the inaugural IMMAF World Championships (July 2014, Las Vegas).

Izzy assumed the role of Marketing and Communications Director for IMMAF in September 2015, taking on responsibility for the brand with its refresh in 2016. Also responsible for broadcast and commercial bids at IMMAF, Izzy was promoted to Director of Brand, Communications and Commerce in January 2018.

You can reach Izzy for all Brand and Communications matters at [email protected]

Follow Izzy on Twitter at @izzycarnwath

Alistair Pettitt

Director of International Events

BIO

Alistair Pettitt is a well respected former British promoter of Amateur MMA, renowned for putting the safety of athletes first. In 2009, Alistair founded the promotion, FIGHT UK MMA. Initially conceived to provide a regulated and safe environment for athletes to compete in a country which lacks regulation, Alistair forged one of the most consistent MMA brands in the UK over the course of 6 years. Through this, Alistair developed MMA industry experience in the areas of events management, legislation, marketing, accounting and athlete management.

On leaving the FIGHT UK brand as its promoter in January 2015, Alistair worked with leading figures in the UK MMA industry to aid the development of the sport through the United Kingdom Mixed Martial Arts Federation. Heading the Events Sanctioning Committee before his move to IMMAF he worked with leading UK promoters to enable voluntary third party regulation. The UFC is likewise working with the UKMMAF, with the ultimate goal of being sanctioned by the governing body in the near future.

In his role as Director of International Events for the International Mixed Martial Arts Federation (IMMAF), Alistair has overseen the delivery of all IMMAF nation vs nation competition events since 2015 and is currently staff liaison for IMMAF’s regulatory affairs and championship bidding commissions.

Alistair is an avid lover of Cricket and fan of his home town football club, Leicester City. He has a passion for fishing and spending time with his family. Alistair is also currently undertaking a MSc in Sports, Management, Business and Policy at Manchester Metropolitan University.

Gosha Malik

Member Services & Administration Manager

Andrew Moshanov

Director of Development

BIO

As Head of Development for International Sambo Federation from 2012 to 2017, Dr. Andrew Moshanov was responsible for the development of new and existing national federations. During that time he introduced sambo to thirty-two new nations, supporting them to gain recognition from National Olympic Committees and national sport authorities.

Andrew’s prior role saw him as Technical Director of the British Judo Association from 2005 to 2010. His work included the implementation of a new comprehensive technical syllabus and system of non-competitive grading. He worked on the implementation of the United Kingdom Coaching Certificate (UKCC) and Long-Term Athlete Development concept (LTAD).

With an IJF 6th Dan in Judo, Andrew’s early career heralded him as personal of coach of five World Sambo Champions (1988-1992), before he led the Chinese Taipei (Taiwan) National Judo team in their training for the XIII Asian and Olympic Games (1996- 2000). Moshanov entered sports administration as Sports Director for Russian Judo (2000-2004) in charge of the preparation of the national team for all major events.

With a PhD from Moscow State University of Physical Education and Sport (2000), he has lectured in Sports Training Science at the University of Bath and acted as a postgraduate student supervisor at Anglia Ruskin University. He holds an honours in coaching for Russia (the highest coaching distinction) and is a lifetime Honorary National Judo coach for the UK police.

Andrew joined IMMAF as its Head of Development in 2018.

Marc Goddard

Director of Regulatory Affairs

BIO

Marc Goddard has been involved in the MMA scene from its early inception. A former MMA & Submission Grappling competitor and successful coach, Marc then moved into the officiating side of the sport. Calling upon his years of direct experience and his passion for the sport of MMA, this coupled with Marc’s unparalleled attention to detail quickly led for Marc to become the referee of choice for many of the UK’s leading domestic promotions.

Marc then became the first ever UK Referee to be appointed for the UFC and quickly followed this up by being the first ever UK MMA Referee to be licensed and sanctioned to Referee in the USA including the fight capital of the World Las Vegas Nevada. Marc has since travelled and officiated in all Continents and having officiated in some 40 countries Worldwide and can be seen taking charge of some the biggest fights around the Globe including UFC World Championship Contests.

Marc has been a long time ambassador for competitor safety in MMA, becoming renowned for establishing the definitive MMA Referees and Judges Course in the UK and since taking and developing it on a Global scale. As one of the founders of the Safe MMA medical project in 2012 and a founding director of the United Kingdom Mixed Martial Arts Federation, establishing the organisation’s original Regulatory Affairs Committee (2013). Marc has resided on the Regulatory Affairs Technical Committee of the International Mixed Martial Arts Federation since launch in 2012, and is responsible for heading the education of officials as well as performing a lead officiating role at all MMAF Championship events.

Michele Verroken

Anti-doping Consultant

BIO

Michele Verroken LLM (Sports Law), MA (Ed), B.Ed (Hons), Cert Ed, PGC Sports Law.

Sporting Integrity is a unique sports business consultancy, the first of its kind in the world. We were established in 2004 to advise clients in sport and business about identifying, adopting and managing best practice procedures relating to risk, ethical and integrity standards and issues. We continue to provide independent professional advice to sport and business across the world. We specialise in promoting integrity in sport.

Michele Verroken is the founding director of Sporting Integrity. Her unique approach is based on over thirty years involvement as one of the world’s top officials in the field of ethics in sport. Formerly Director of Ethics and Anti-Doping at UK Sport, Michele designed and implemented current internationally accepted standards for doping control, results management and education. Her expertise in policy implementation led to the UK achieving the first ISO 9000 certification for anti-doping in the world. Michele created the UK’s Drug Information Database, education programmes, Independent Doping Control Officer training and national anti-doping policy based on ISO certified standards. Michele has significant experience in anti-doping programmes at national and international level.

Her efforts have earned her the recognition and support of some of the most powerful figures in world sport and have helped to shape the fight against doping in sport internationally. Her expertise in developing anti-doping programmes has been sought by a number of countries, including Ireland, South Africa and Saudi Arabia. Since 2002 Michele has been secretary of the Commonwealth Games Federation Medical Commission, leading the coordination and delivery of the Games anti-doping programme including TUE processes and results management as well as the interface with medical services.

An accomplished writer, broadcaster and public speaker, Michele is a regular media

Yoni Gottlieb

Director of Athlete Safety

BIO

Yoni joined SafeMMA in 2013, a UK & Irish not-for-profit medical project dedicated to the safety of MMA competitors. The volunteer led project provides medical consultancy, pre-clearance and record keeping services to the Irish Mixed Martial Arts Association, the United Kingdom Mixed Martial Arts Federation and the Ulster Amateur MMA Association. Safe MMA also works independently with professional promoters that include BAMMA, Cage Warriors, Bellator, KSW and BCMMA among others. See safemma.org

As a former Detective Sergeant, Yoni was well practised at managing processes and confidential information. At SafeMMA, he designed and built the main database, digitised those records already held, and developed what was largely a paper based system into the ‘customer-focused’, web-based processes which successfully underpin SafeMMA now.

Yoni first worked with IMMAF through its partnership with Safe MMA, as medical services provider for IMMAF’s Championship events. His role quickly extended to Medical Manager, managing medical contractors and facilities at IMMAF events, as well as record-keeping and 360° athlete safety and wellbeing.

In 2017 the IMMAF Medical Committee appointed Yoni as Director of Athlete Safety, acknowledging his role in the implementation and administration of Medical Committee policy and recommendations at IMMAF.

Nick Davies

Chief Strategy Officer

BIO

Between 1992 and 2017 Nick Davies held senior positions at the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), ranging from Communications Director and Spokesman to Deputy CEO and Chief of Staff to IAAF President Lord Sebastian Coe. This represents more than 20 years of
experience at a leading Olympic sport federation.

Trained as a journalist, he helped to establish the Monaco based IAAF as a leading sport federation for media relations, PR, event services, print and online engagement. Fluent in French and Spanish, Nick has an international background and deep insight into the passion, politics and commercial
potential of sport.

Since September 2017 Nick has been a Specialist Partner at Pagefield Communications and developed a Pagefield Sport offer from scratch. Since its official launch in May 2018 Pagefield Sport has worked with a leading F1 team and key sponsor, the Rafa Nadal Tennis Academy, the Kazakh Boxing Federation, Dunhill Links Championships golf tournament, Dina Asher Smith, Paula Radcliffe and others.

Nick also consulted for the world’s leading social media publishing platform for Athletes, UNSCRIPTD, providing international sport relations support to help them increase their global reach, particularly in athletics and Olympic sport. Unscriptd has recently been bought by US sport social
media giant Players Tribune.

Nick is a member of the World Squash Federation’s Communications Commission and an Ambassador of Thames Valley Harriers, one of the UK’s leading athletics clubs.

Jorden Curran

Content and Athlete Records Manager

BIO

With a journalistic background in MMA, Jorden Curran first worked for IMMAF in a voluntary capacity vetting competition records of Amateur athletes registered for the 2015 IMMAF World Championships.

Following the World Championships Jorden was hired as Content Manager and Athlete Records Manager, not only responsible for the management of vetting athlete match records but also the management of news content on the IMMAF.org website as lead writer and photographer.

Jorden’s passion for mixed martial arts began when he started training at the age of 17 and ever since, his love and interest for the sport has continued to grow. After studying Sports Journalism at the University of Bedfordshire, Jorden began covering MMA for British media outlet, MMA Plus, and has contributed to several other established media sources such as Fighters Only Magazine and Yahoo Sports. Jorden has covered leading events in Mixed Martial Arts and combat sports the world over.

Mikhail Mazur

Member Communications & Athlete Records Manager

Jaine Shah

Athlete Equipment Manager

BIO

Jaine’s professional experience has seen her working on the Operations side at numerous Major Sporting Events, including the London Olympics 2012 and Rugby World Cup 2015 tournaments. She has continued to work in the industry because of her keen interest and passion for Sports & Entertainment. She has also volunteered her time to Youth Development Programmes where she has mentored several teenagers during skills workshops, as well as been a Team Lead for Pro-Active London and Youth Support Trust.

Jaine holds an honours degree from University College London (UCL) in Management & IT, and has built international experience in the IT industry working in the U.K, Hong Kong and Australia. Her specialisms include Business Transformation & Strategic Planning, Change Management, Process Improvement, and managing teams globally to deliver projects. In 2016, Jaine volunteered her time at her first IMMAF event and has since continued to transform Athlete Equipment operations. From ordering kit to event execution; she has implemented structured processes allowing her to effectively manage the distribution and usage of kit for up to 450 athletes at several IMMAF events globally.

In 2018, Jaine joined the IMMAF team in a permanent capacity and is now responsible for building IMMAF’s Equipment Strategy.

Outside of work, Jaine enjoys hiking, dance, contact sports and adrenaline activities. She also loves to travel and immerse herself in different cultures when working away or being on vacation.

Tobias Sahlin

Chief Technology Officer

BIO

Tobias has a sporting background in football. He played in the Swedish football league in Division II for IFK Sundsvall on a forward position between 2006-2011.

After his football career, he went onto pursue a master’s degree in Engineering with a major in Operation Research & Logistics at Umeå University. His working career took off in the IT sector when he started at ORTEC BV, a Dutch company that develops and implements sophisticated optimisation software and analytical tools in the logistics sector.

He has since worked as a consultant and project manager, with Wallmart, Hoyer GmbH and other large companies among his clients. His passion for working at the intersection between IT and organisational development has given Tobias the experience to lead on both technical organisation and design, and to develop advanced IT-Solutions. This, together with a background in optimisation, has given Tobias an eye for identifying opportunities for improvement, as well as experience in creating the systemic solutions needed for them to become a reality.

Since October 2019 Tobias has held the position of Chief Strategy Officer at Auxality.

COMMITTEES

The IMMAF administration is assisted in its work by a number of Committees (elected by the General Assembly) and Commissions (appointed by the Board of Directors) made up of expert advisers coming from within the sport of MMA and outside. As volunteers with different backgrounds and nationalities, they bring a wealth of different experience and are committed to making IMMAF an outstanding example of good governance and athlete-oriented sport development.

Elected Committees

The Anti-doping, Anti-doping Disciplinary, Arbitration, Disciplinary, Financial Audit and Nominations Committees are elected by the General Assembly:

Anti-doping Committee

The Anti-doping and TUE Committee oversees IMMAF’s anti-doping policies and implementation across IMMAF competitions ensuring that IMMAF’s Anti-doping Policy is WADA compliant. The committee includes a panel of expert medical professionals who are highly experienced in the field of Anti-doping. The panel is responsible for reviewing applications from athletes for the therapeutic or medical use of banned substances

Download Anti-doping Committee Terms of Reference
Anti-doping Disciplinary Committee

The role of the Ant-doping Disciplinary Committee is to manage and resolve any asserted Anti-Doping Rule Violation (ADRV) or other dispute arising from the implementation of those rules policies and procedures arising from the Results Management Process as described in the Anti-Doping Rules (ADR).

Download Anti-doping Disciplinary Committee Terms of Reference
Arbitration Committee

The IMMAF Arbitration Committee should be considered as an independent entity. The IMMAF Arbitration Committee has the exclusive role to resolve complaints and disputes and appeals arising from decisions of the IMMAF Disciplinary Committee and complaints and disputes related to decisions of the IMMAF Anti-doping Disciplinary Committee.

Download Arbitration Committee Terms of Reference
Disciplinary Committee

The IMMAF Disciplinary Committee is responsible for the management and resolution of any asserted violations of the IMMAF Code of Ethics and other IMMAF Rules and Procedures, except for asserted violations of anti-doping rules which come under the jurisdiction of the IMMAF Anti-doping Disciplinary Committee. Any complaints, disputes or appeals arising from decisions of the IMMAF Disciplinary Committee will be settled by the IMMAF Arbitration Panel which is independent of the Disciplinary Committee.

Download Disciplinary Committee Terms of Reference
Financial Audit Committee

The role of the the Financial Audit Committee, which should be considered as independent of IMMAF, is to oversee and audit the financial activities of IMMAF and to provide independent oversight of financial matters related to IMMAF.

Download Financial Audit Committee Terms of Reference
Nominations Committee

The role of the Nominations Committee is to ensure that all candidates for elected positions at IMMAF are eligible in accordance with the IMMAF Constitution and other IMMAF rules and regulations. The Nominations Committee will also monitor the election procedures to ensure that they comply with the relevant articles of the IMMAF Constitution.

Download Nominations Committee Terms of Reference

Appointed Commissions

Athletes’ Commission

The Athletes’ Commission serves as a link between the athletes and IMMAF. The IMMAF Athletes’ Commission ensures that the athletes’ viewpoint remains at the heart of all decisions by IMMAF and encourages and empowers the Athletes’ voice in all matters related to Amateur MMA globally.

Download Athletes Commission Terms of Reference
Business Development Commission

The role of the IMMAF Business Development Commission is to develop strategies, processes and activities to foster commercial growth opportunities for IMMAF (including but not limited to partnership, sponsor and hosting opportunities) and to promote and encourage active business development amongst IMMAF National Member Federations. The Business Commission should aim to create long term value or a long term positive image of IMMAF in the minds of current and potential commercial partners, stakeholders, and relevant markets.
Coaching Commission

The role of the Coaching Commission is to advise IMMAF Board of Directors on matters related to Amateur Mixed Martial Arts from the coaches’ perspective including providing strategic direction and leadership to ensure that IMMAF coaches have the most up-to-date level of competency and can deliver effective teaching of the skills of mixed martial arts to their membership. The Commission will provide a coach’s perspective and voice to the decision-making processes within IMMAF and advocate for the rights and interests of coaches within the sport of Amateur Mixed Martial Arts globally.

Download Coaching Commission Terms of Reference
Communications and Marketing Commission

The role of the Communications and Marketing Commission is to advise the IMMAF Board of Directors and Communications Director on issues related to communications and marketing, in both a strategic and operational capacity, to ensure that the IMMAF values and activities, as well as the IMMAF vision and mission, are promoted to a global audience.

The Commission will help to ensure that IMMAF, as the legitimate global governing body for Mixed Martial Arts, has a clear brand, communications and consumer marketing strategy to amplify IMMAF’s vision and mission.

Download Communications and Marketing Terms of Reference
Competition Bidding Commission

The role of the Competition Bidding Commission is to identify and attract high quality and appropriate candidates to host IMMAF competitions. The Commission will develop and manage all the relevant information and guidelines to inform potential candidates of the benefits and responsibilities of hosting IMMAF events.

The Commission will also ensure that the necessary evaluation and decision-making processes, as well as communication with prospective candidates, is handled in the most transparent manner possible and in full compliance with the IMMAF Statutes, Code of Ethics and other relevant IMMAF rules and guidelines.

Download Competition Bidding Commission Terms of Reference
Ethics Commission

The role of the Ethics Commission is to advise the CEO and Board on the development, implementation and review of organisational procedures and policies guidelines relating to ethical issues; and whom the CEO can call upon to provide advice and consultation to the IMMAF on ethics matters depending on the issues arising.

The Ethics Commission is responsible for ensuring that IMMAF acts in accordance with its Statutes and Policies including its Conflicts of Interest and Whistle-blowing policies. The Commission is responsible for the investigation of complaints at the request of the IMMAF CEO.

Download Ethics Commission Terms of Reference
Medical Commission

IMMAF’s Medical Committee consists of a panel of doctors with a specialism or experience in medical care within Mixed Martial Arts. The committee is responsible for providing guidance on medical safety within the sport and for developing medical protocol for IMMAF competitions.

Download Medical Commission Terms of Reference
Regulatory Affairs Commission
Women’s Commission

The role of the Women’s Commission is to advise the IMMAF Board of Directors on the development and implementation of an IMMAF women and sport policy and to promote equal opportunities for girls and women to participate in, and benefit from, amateur mixed martial arts as a sport and physical activity.

Download Women’s Commission Terms of Reference
Youth Development Commission

The role of the Youth Development Commission is to oversee programmes to guide young athletes on appropriate pathways for lifelong participation, competition preparation and personal development in the sport of Mixed Martial Arts. The Commission will ensure that training pathways are created for all officials that adhere to the accepted concept of “Long term Athlete Development” (LTAD).

In addition, because young Athlete development frameworks need to be holistic and embrace the complex nature of athlete development, this Committee will cover Coaching, Regulatory affairs, Medical, Anti-doping and Ethics.

Part of the work of IMMAF is carried out by committees consisting of a number of people of different experience, backgrounds and nationalities. Most committees are composed of volunteers, but in some cases professionals may be appointed.

Download Youth Development Commissions Terms of Reference

IMMAF’s committees are in various formative stages and there remains room for members to be elected. For more information please contact [email protected].

Kerrith Brown

George Sallfeldt

Tatiana Klimenko

Galimzhan Yessenov

Bertrand Amoussou

Tom Madsen

Wissam Abi Nader

Raymond Phillips

Stewart Brain

Denitza Batchvarova

Han Juili

Svetlana Odintsova

Karim Iskander

Frank Babcock

August Wallen

Vadim Finkelchtein

Densign White

Tatiana Klimenko

Isobel Carnwath

Alistair Pettitt

Gosha Malik

Andrew Moshanov

Marc Goddard

Michele Verroken

Yoni Gottlieb

Nick Davies

Jorden Curran

Mikhail Mazur

Jaine Shah

Tobias Sahlin

Elected Committees

Appointed Commissions

Global partners

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