IMMAF 10 YEARS SERIES
How is an International Federation formed?
Why is it formed?
What’s its purpose and mission?
The IMMAF 10 Years series of short videos attempts to answer these questions.
episode 1
The Beginning | UFC’s Role In Early Development
Founded by August Wallen with George Sallfeldt in Sweden in 2012, IMMAF has become established as one of the ultimate pathways for athletic success. This special 10 Years feature looks back at the inception of IMMAF and how support from the UFC helped shape the International MMA Federation’s early vision.
episode 2
Olympic Leadership & The Quest for Recognition
In Episode 2 of the IMMAF 10 Years Series, members of the IMMAF Board relive the challenges of the first IMMAF World Championships, which took place in Las Vegas, NV in 2014, and how lessons of that event helped shape IMMAF for its bold future.
episode 3
Amateur MMA's Global Expansion
Episode 3 of the IMMAF 10 Years Series, looks back at the appointment of Densign White as CEO and election of Kerrith Brown.
The former Judo executives helped propel IMMAF into a significant period of growth achieving World Anti-Doping Agency Code signatory status amongst other major feats in IMMAF’s quest for Olympic movement recognition.
episode 4
Olympic Leadership & The Quest for Recognition
From 2014 to 2016, the IMMAF Amateur MMA World Championships were hosted in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA at UFC International Fight Week, which was key to the early growth of IMMAF.
In 2017, IMMAF would undergo significant global expansion. Firstly, with the introduction of the Bahrain MMA Federation as World Championships hosts, alongside the merger with then-rival body, World Mixed Martial Arts Association (WMMAA) to create one unified body for Amateur MMA.
For me, It is a chance to reflect on how far we have come in such a short space of time, navigating political landscapes to the develop the grass root pathways and frameworks of the sport of MMA. It’s actually quite remarkable when you take in to account that nearly all sports start from the grass roots amateur side. IMMAF has the added challenge of implementing this from top down and not bottom up, where the professional side of the sport was already established.
Can success be measured against the mission of Olympic recognition 10 years on from IMMAF being formed?
In short, yes. Over 140 affiliated National Member Federations. Nation v’s Nation ranked events on each continent. Development pathways for anyone wanting to get involved in the sport of MMA (coaching, administration, technical officials etc). In my view, the most significant milestone was gaining signatory to the WADA (World Anti Doping Agency) code. This is recognition that proves we are credible and are on the right path for Olympic recognition.
