International Mixed Martial Arts Federation
The International Mixed Martial Arts Federation was founded on 29 February 2012 as the international governing body for amateur Mixed Martial Arts. Registered as a non-profit organisation under Swedish law, IMMAF serves as a democratic hub for national MMA federations and supports the growth of regulation and sport safety globally by aiding countries in the formation of federations where none exist. IMMAF launched with support of market leader, the Ultimate Fighting Championship. The UFC is among promotions sanctioned by federations under the IMMAF umbrella in countries that include Brazil and Sweden.
Amateur vs. professional level athletes
The IMMAF considers an athlete to be on a professional level and thus not eligible for participation if he or she meets any one of the following criteria:- holds a Pro MMA or professional combat sports license issued by any sanctioning body
- is under contract with a professional MMA or professional combat sport promotion
- has received a fee for participating in an MMA or professional combat sports match
- has participated in a professional MMA match under the Unified Rules of MMA or equivalent in the country where the bout took place
- has competed against an opponent with a Pro MMA record at the time the bout took place
- has a professional MMA fight record published anywhere
- National amateur criteria do not hold for IMMAF international competition if it does not conform to the above stipulations
Amateur MMA rules
Compulsory equipment
- Competition gloves
- Competition shin guards
- Competition shorts made in a durable material and designed in such a way that they can't inflict injury on either one of the contestants
- Mouthpiece
- Competition top or rashguard
- Protective groin cup
- Protective chest gear
- Knee protection
- Ankle protection
Unauthorized techniques
- Elbow and forearm strikes of any kind
- Heel hook
- Twisters/Sit through crucifix and/or any submission deemed as applying pressure to the spine
- Knees to the head at any point
Length of the match
- A match shall contain three rounds.
- A round shall last three minutes.
- The round break shall last sixty seconds
Suspension
Suspension periods starting from the day of the latest match:
- One knockout: Minimum four weeks suspension
- knockouts during a period of three months: Minimum three months suspension.
- Three knockouts during a period of twelve months: Minimum twelve months suspension.
discretion.
In the event that a match was not stopped the physician still has the right to decide on a suspension if he/she deems it necessary due to the contestant having received many tough blows to the head
Members
PAN AMERICA- Bahamas - Empire Mixed Martial Arts Bahamas
- Brazil - Brazilian MMA Athletic Commission / Comissão Atlética Brasileira de MMA
- Canada - Canadian Combat Alliance
- Colombia - Asociación Colombiana de Artes Marciales Mixtas OCAMM
- El Salvador - Federacion Salvadoreña de Kickboxing & MMA / Salvadorean Kickboxing & MMA Federation
- Mexico - Federacion de Artes Marciales Mixtas Equidad y Juego Limpio
- Paraguay - Federacion Paraguaya de Kick Boxing Muay Thai & MMA
- Trinidad and Tobago - Trinidad and Tobago Mixed Martial Arts Federation
- United States of America - USA Mixed Martial Arts Federation
- IRAN - IRAN MMA Association
- The Kingdom of Bahrain - Bahrain Mixed Martial Arts Federation
- China - China International Mixed Martial Arts Federation
- India - MMA India
- Japan - Japan MMA Federation JMMAF
- The Hasemite Kingdom of Jordan - The Jordan Mixed Martial Arts Federation
- Kazakhstan - Kazakhstan Mixed Martial Arts Federation
- Lebanon - Lebanese MMA Committee
- Malaysia - Malaysia Mixed Martial Arts Association MASMMAA
- Nepal - Nepal National Martial Art Games Confederation
- Pakistan - Mixed Martial Arts Pakistan
- Singapore - Mixed Martial Arts Federation of Singapore
- Tajikistan - Mixed Martial Arts Federation of the Republic of Tajikistan
- Thailand - Thai Mixed Martial Art's Federation
- Austria - Austrian Mixed Martial Arts Federation
- Albania - Albanian Mixed Martial Arts Federation
- Azerbaijan - Azerbaijan Mixed Martial Arts League
- Belgium - Belgian Mixed Martial Arts Federation
- Bulgaria - Bulgarian Federation of Mixed Martial Arts
- Czech Republic - Mixed Martial Arts Association Czech Republic
- Denmark - Danish Mixed Martial Arts Federation
- Estonia - Estonian Mixed Martial Arts Federation
- Finland - Finnish Mixed Martial Arts Federation / Suomen Vapaaotteluliitto ry
- France - Commission Française de Mixed Martial Arts
- Germany - German Mixed Martial Arts Federation
- Georgia - National Federation of MMA Georgia
- Greece - Greek Wrestling MMA
- Hungary - Hungarian Premium MMA League
- Iceland - Individual Member
- Ireland - Ulster Amateur MMA Association
- Ireland - Irish Mixed Martial Arts Association
- Italy - Federazione Italiana Grappling Mixed Martial Arts / Italian Grappling and Mixed Martial Arts Federation
- Lithuania - Lithuanian Mixed Martial Arts Federation / Lietuvos MMA Federacija
- Luxembourg - Fédération Luxembourgeoise de MMA
- Norway - Norwegian Mixed Martial Arts Federation
- Poland - Polish Mixed Martial Arts Federation
- Portugal - Portuguese MMA Athletic Commission / Comissão Atlética Portuguesa de MMA
- Romania - Romanian Mixed Martial Arts Federation
- Russia - MMA Federation of Russia
- Spain - Spanish Federation of Olympic Wrestling and Associated Disciplines /Federación Española de Luchas Olímpicas y Disciplinas Asociadas
- Sweden - Swedish Mixed Martial Arts Federation
- Switzerland - Swiss Mixed Martial Arts Federation
- Turkey - Turkey Martial Arts & Self Defence Federation
- Ukraine - All Ukrainian Federation of Free-fight, Single Combat and Mixed Martial Arts
- United Kingdom - UK MMA Federation
- Australia - International Mixed Martial Arts Federation of Australia
- New Zealand - New Zealand Mixed Martial Arts Federation
- Cameroon - National League Mixed Martial Arts Cameroon
- Egypt - The Egyptian MMA Committee
- Ghana - Ghana Mixed Martial Arts Federation
- Mauritius - Mixed Martial Arts Federation Mauritius
- Nigeria - Dynamite Fighting Championship Africa
- The Seychelles - The Seychelles Mixed Martial Arts Association
- South Africa - Mixed Martial Arts South Africa
Championships
2014 IMMAF World Championships of Amateur MMA
The first IMMAF World Championships of Amateur MMA were held between 29 June and 5 July 2014 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The tournament took place over four days at Cox Pavilion at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, with the finals taking place inside the UFC Fan Expo at Mandalay Bay on 5 July.Medalists
MenWomen
2015 IMMAF World Championships of Amateur MMA
The 2015 IMMAF World Championships of Amateur MMA took place at Las Vegas, Nevada, as the International Mixed Martial Arts Federation returned for the tournament's second year.The 2015 Championships took place during the fourth annual UFC International Fight Week, from Monday, July 6 to Saturday, July 11, 2015. The fan experience was billed as the world's largest mixed martial arts celebration, guaranteeing high-energy, all-star entertainment and concluding with a weekend of action-packed fights including UFC 189 on July 11.
Medalists
MenWomen
2015 IMMAF European Open Championships of Amateur MMA
The 2015 IMMAF European Open Championships of Amateur MMA took place at Birmingham, England, United Kingdom from the 19 to 22 November 2015.The foundational European event took place in Birmingham at the Walsall Sports Centre at the University of Wolverhampton and was broadcast post-event on UFC Fight Pass and international television.
Medalists
MenWomen
2016 IMMAF World Championships of Amateur MMA
The IMMAF World Championships of Amateur MMA returns to Las Vegas as part of the 5th Annual UFC International Fight Week™, the world's largest celebration of combat sports, taking place from Tuesday, July 5 – Sunday, July 10.The 2016 IMMAF World Championships will be hosted at the Las Vegas Convention Center during the week, with the championships featured on July 10 at the UFC Fan Expo®.
Hosted by the global governing body for amateur MMA, the IMMAF's third iteration of its five-day tournament, will air its post-event highlights on UFC FIGHT PASS®, along with other international television platforms.
2016 IMMAF Africa Open Championships
The 2016 IMMAF Africa Open Championships commence on Tuesday 30 August and run until the 4 September 2016 at the Brakpan Indoor Sports Centre in Johannesburg.Hosted by the International Mixed Martial Arts Federation in association with Mixed Martial Arts South Africa the tournament is Amateur MMA competitors from IMMAF member countries from all across the world. The Africa Open Championships permits 2 representatives per country for each weight class and 4 for the host country, spanning Strawweight to Lightweight for women and Flyweight to Super Heavyweight for men.
The 2016 IMMAF Africa Open Championships will feature on UFC FIGHT PASS and international broadcast channels, post-event.
2016 IMMAF European Open Championships of Amateur MMA
2016 IMMAF European Open Championships of Amateur MMA, which take place in Prague from 22 to 26 November.Hosted by the Czech Mixed Martial Arts Association, the International Mixed Martial Arts Federation's nation vs. nation tournament plays out in 2 rings across 5 days and features more than 170 Athletes from 30 countries worldwide.
The 2016 IMMAF European Open Championships of Amateur MMA will feature on UFC FIGHT PASS and international broadcast channels, post-event.
2017 IMMAF World Championships of Amateur MMA
The 2017 IMMAF World Championships of Amateur MMA took place in Manama, Bahrain at Khalifa Sports City Arena from 12 to 19 November.Medalists
MenWomen
Overall Medals Standing (World Championships)
Totals do not include medals from the 2016 or 2017 World Championships.Ranking | Country | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
1 | United States of America | 6 | 1 | 7 |
2 | Sweden | 0 | 7 | 2 |
3 | United Kingdom | 1 | 2 | 5 |
4 | Italy | 1 | 0 | 6 |
5 | Finland | 3 | 1 | 1 |
6 | Canada | 2 | 1 | 2 |
7 | Poland | 1 | 1 | 3 |
8 | Norway | 0 | 3 | 1 |
9 | France | 0 | 1 | 3 |
10 | South Africa | 2 | 0 | 1 |
11 | Ireland | 1 | 1 | 1 |
12 | New Zealand | 0 | 0 | 3 |
13 | Denmark | 2 | 0 | 0 |
14 | Czech Republic | 1 | 0 | 1 |
14 | Germany | 1 | 0 | 1 |
16 | Kazakhstan | 0 | 2 | 0 |
17 | Lebanon | 0 | 1 | 1 |
17 | Romania | 0 | 1 | 1 |
17 | Ukraine | 0 | 1 | 1 |
20 | Belgium | 0 | 0 | 2 |
20 | Northern Ireland | 0 | 0 | 2 |
22 | Austria | 1 | 0 | 0 |
22 | Brazil | 1 | 0 | 0 |