Representatives from IMMAF’s 53-member countries are set to face off in a week of elite amateur MMA action, in which national team faces off against national team.
The International Mixed Martial Arts Federation today announced the 2016 installment of the IMMAF World Championships of Amateur MMA will return 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®.
“We are excited to formally announce that our world championships are returning to International Fight Week and the UFC Fan Expo,” IMMAF CEO Densign White said. “It’s both an honour and fitting that the world’s top-ranking amateur MMA athletes are afforded such a prestigious platform. As IMMAF and its membership continue to grow, so does our pool of talented athletes. Our world championships provide a calendar marker by which MMA fans across the world can track the rapid development of the amateur divisions and the rising of future professional and potential UFC stars.”
“We are thrilled that the 2016 IMMAF World Championships are returning to Las Vegas during International Fight Week,” UFC Vice President of Business Development, Government Relations and Corporate Communications Mike Britt said. “This year’s celebration is highlighted by UFC 200 and this will be a perfect platform for IMMAF to showcase the best amateur MMA athletes in the world by way of their championships.”
Hosted by the global governing body for amateur MMA, the IMMAF’s third iteration of its prestigious five-day tournament, will air its post-event highlights on UFC FIGHT PASS®, along with other international television platforms.
IMMAF competitions follow a unique tournament format by which competitors are selected by draw to determine who they will face in each round of competition. With nine weight classes for men (flyweight – super heavyweight) and now five for women (strawweight – lightweight), the international event follows the IMMAF Unified Rules of Amateur MMA. The event is to be sanctioned by the United States MMA Federation (UMMAF) under the Nevada State Athletic Commission.