International Mixed Martial Arts Federation President Kerrith Brown has been nominated for the Leading Man of the Year Award in the 14th annual Fighters Only World MMA Awards. This is the third consecutive year that amateur MMA has been represented at the prestigious awards.
He joins a list of nominees: UFC President Dana White, Bellator President Scott Coker, PFL CEO Peter Murray, and Cage Warriors President Graham Boylan.
Kerrith commented: “It is an honour to be nominated for this award for the first time on behalf of IMMAF. We have been working hard to grow and develop the sport, and it is a credit to all our members, board, staff, and volunteers. Nothing we do would be possible without them, and it is great to see the work being recognised. In the last year, we have continued to grow the sport through hosting championships, assisting members to develop at all levels and achieving WADA signatory status. I would like to thank Fighters Only for the acknowledgement and to all the IMMAF family for their efforts as we continue to work towards our goal of gaining recognition for the sport.”
This will be the first time Brown has been nominated after CEO Densign White was nominated the last two years. He is joined by Director of Regulatory Affairs Marc Goddard, who is nominated for Referee of the Year.
Kerrith added: “On behalf of the IMMAF board, I would like to congratulate Marc Goddard on his award nomination. Marc is a pivotal part of the organization and the sport, contributing significantly to the development and training of officials worldwide and the amateur ruleset adopted by IMMAF. His work has played a significant role in the development of the organization and is a key factor in our push to get the sport recognized. As a referee, he is one of the best in the world, and I am glad to see him recognized for his work.”
Kerrith is an Olympic bronze medalist in Judo while representing Great Britain at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles. He also won a bronze medal at the 1987 World Championships in Essen.
Following his tenure as Chairman of British Judo, Kerrith was appointed as President of IMMAF back in 2015. Under his leadership, the world governing body for MMA has reached over a hundred member nations, achieved WADA signatory status, and grown the number of continental tournaments as well as successfully hosting international tournaments during a global pandemic.
Voting is now open at WorldMMAAwards.com and runs until September 30, with the nomination period lasting from July 1, 2021, through June 30, 2022.
About the author
Hari Bhagirath is the former Chief Creative Officer at BRAVE Combat Federation. Currently, he heads Strategic Relations and Financial Communication for a major Fortune 100 organization. He is also the co-founder of Totem Capital, a private wealth management initiative.
