A new international governing body for MMA was announced on Thursday and it already has the support of the world’s biggest organization.
The Ultimate Fighting Championship said in a press release that it is fully behind the International Mixed Martial Arts Federation (IMMAF), a new democratic body launched to organize and drive the development of the sport on a worldwide basis.
The IMMAF’s purpose is to increase the growth and recognition of MMA across all continents, and the intention is to include things such as facilitating the implementation of global unified amateur rules, regulations and safety. The UFC said the new initiative will help to foster the development of the sport at the grassroots level and bolster the work being done by many MMA organizations internationally to further the integrity and legitimacy of the sport.
The mission statement on the IMMAF website states:
“Mixed martial arts (MMA) is often referred to as the world’s fastest growing sport. Its popularity is constantly increasing and the possibilities for development of MMA are endless. In order to harness all this potential there is a need for a common point of reference, a democratic body to organize and drive the development of the sport on a worldwide basis. It is in response to this that the IMMAF was founded with the purpose to further the development and recognition of the sport of mixed martial arts, enabling international competition through the organization of national MMA federations around the world.”
UFC officials have long been advocates of the unified rules of MMA and regularly promote the expansion of the sport.
“In order to maintain the successful growth of our sport, it is important to invest in resources that will develop and cultivate it at an amateur level. Having an umbrella organization that will oversee and help build the sport on a global level will not only provide advanced and ever-improving safety standards but will also create a unified global model to help introduce the sport to new markets,” UFC chairman and CEO Lorenzo Fertitta said in a press release. “It is our hope that it will also take us one step closer to witnessing the inclusion of the sport of MMA on the Olympic programme.”
The IMMAF was founded by former fighter and previous president of the Swedish MMA Federation, August Wallén.
This isn’t the first time an international body has been launched; the World Alliance of Mixed Martial Arts (WAMMA) was created in 2007. However, it did not receive the backing of the UFC as it also attempted to oversee and unify other aspects of the sport such as sanctioning, business practices and rankings.
In particular, it had the slogan “One belt one king,” suggesting it usurp individual organizations’ crowned champions. (For example, Fedor Emelianenko won the first WAMMA heavyweight belt by defeating Tim Sylvia at an Affliction event in July 2008.) But the UFC saw no benefit in such an alliance.
The IMMAF is different in that its focus is on the growth and recognition of MMA.
“The creation of this organization is long overdue,” said Marc Ratner, the UFC’s senior VP of government and regulatory affairs. “MMA is the fastest growing sport in the world and we support the Federation’s focus on providing a globally unified set of rules and safety measures to help keep all fighters safe. While there are many obstacles ahead in the formation of this international organization, we are confident of the outcomes and advancements this group will make for the future of our sport.”
The UFC has hosted events in 11 different countries in its 19-year existence and will host its first ever event in Sweden on Saturday — UFC on Fuel TV 2: Gustafsson vs. Silva which can be seen live on Sportsnet ONE.
