Category Archives: WMMAA

mixed martial arts, MMA, WMMAA

WMMAA appeal review results in draw for June 17th Emelianenko vs. Maldonado fight

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MONTE CARLO, Monaco(July 15, 2016)- The World Mixed Martial Arts Association (WMMAA) has issued an announcement regarding an appeal recently filed by Stefano Sartori, manager of Brazilian fighter Fabio Maldonado, to reassess the result of his June 17th fight with Fedor Emelianenko, which headlined Fight Nights Global 50 in Saint Petersburg, Russia.
WMMAA General Secretary & Senior Vice President Alexander Engelhardt (pictured to left) has declared that Emelianenko vs. Maldonado, which was originally ruled a majority decision victory in favor of Emeliananko, officially be changed to a draw.
Team Malondado’s appeal to the WMMAA was filed claiming a conflict of interest because all of the judges are employed by the Russian MMA Union, of which Emelianenko serves as president, as well as for the initial appeal to the Russian MMA Union, a sanctioned WMMAA member, being unjustly rejected by the head jury.
Engelhardt was appointed by WMMAA present Vadim Finkelchetein to handle the appeal procedure.  A committee was formed comprised of Engelhardt, Hector Molina (Mexico), Chairman of the Rules, Regulations and Referee Committee; Ino Alberga (The Netherlands), Member of the Rules, Regulations and Referee Committee; Poalo Biotti (Italy), Chairman Ethics and Disciplinary Committee; Zaya Zaya (Australia), Member Professional Referee Committee.
In addition, independent judge Marco Broersen (The Netherlands), Chairman of Professional Referee Committee and Ethics and Disciplinary Committee, was responsible for selecting an independent judges’ panel to reassess the original result.  The three-judges were Youri Lamoureux (Canada), Lukasz Bosacki(Poland) and Alexey Zemskov (Russia).
Each of the three aforementioned judges scored the first round in favor of Emelianenko, 10-8, and the second and third rounds for Maldonado, 10-9 each, resulting in a 28-28 draw.
The appeal procedure was divided into two parts for review in terms of whether the procedural mistakes related to the fight were made and that an independent international judges’ panel had to review the fight.
The WMMAA came to the conclusion that the appeal was legitimate and it was accepted due to the fact one of the fighters, Emelianenko, as President of the Russian MMA Union, and Head of Judges, Radmir Gabdullin, had a working relationship that could potentially affect the judgmental decisions.  The WMMAA made it clear that it wasn’t saying the aforementioned relationship led to a different outcome of the result, just that it was an unfortunate choice.
Additionally, the WMMAA ruled that initially refusing the appeal was a mistake based on WMMAA amateur rules as Emelianenko vs. Maldonado was conducted under WMMAA rules.
The appeal decision that resulted in the result being changed to “Unanimous Draw” was accepted by the WMMAA, which informed Fight Nights, the promoter of Emelianko vs. Maldonado, Emelianenko, Sartori and the Russian MMA Union of its decision, and that it official had closed the appeal.
Schedule of Major 2016 MMA Events
 
Aug.3-8 – Asian MMA Championship in Hwasun, South Korea
Sept. 14-16 – European MMA Championship in Tbilisi, Georgia
Oct. 7-9 – Inaugural Pan-American Championships in Santiago, Chile
Nov. 18-20 – World MMM Championship in Macau, China
Information
Twitter:  @theWMMAA
Instagram: @worldmmaa
mixed martial arts, MMA, WMMAA

Team Maldonado files WMMAA appeal to reassess result of June 17th Emelianenko vs.  Maldonado fight in Russia

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MONTE CARLO, Monaco (July 4, 2016) — The World Mixed Martial Arts Association (WMMAA) has received an appeal from Stefano Sartori, manager of Brazilian fighter Fabio Maldonado, to reassess the result of his June 17thfight with Fedor Emelianenko, which headlined Fight Nights Global 50 in Saint Petersburgh, Russia.
Emelianenko was awarded a win by majority decision, which Team Malondado has appealed, claiming a conflict of interest because all of the judges are employed by the Russian MMA Union, of which Emelianenko serves as president.
Team Maldonado believes Maldonando should have won the decision, or the fight declared a draw at the very least, in their opinion, as the Brazilian clearly won the first round, 10-8, Emelianenko came back to take the second round, 10-9, and the third round was a toss-up.
Because Russian MMA Union vice president Radmir Gabdullin was the head judge for the aforementioned bout, Team Maldonando feels that a fair judgement regarding its appeal can be rendered only by independent, international judges reviewing the fight.
Team Maldonando has appealed the decision on grounds that there was an obvious conflict of interest in terms of the Russian MMA Union judges and their close association with Fedor, as well as the quality of decisions they rendered.  Rather than appeal the decision to the Russian MMA Union, which they claimed would place Russian judges under intense pressure, Team Maldonando made the appeal directly to the WMMAA because the Russian MMA Union is a sanctioned member of the worldwide sanctioning body WMMAA.
WMMAA president Vadim Finkelchtein has announced the following sequence of actions:
  • WMMAA Secretary General Alexander Engelhardt has been appointed to handle the appeal procedure
  • A group of objective international judges, under the guidance of experienced referee/judge Marco Broersen (Netherlands), to be appointed to assess the Emelianenko-Maldonado fight based on the tape and render an unbiased verdict regarding the fight and work of the judges
  • Temporarily suspend WMMAA head judge Radmir Gabdullin from his position
  • Discuss judges’ work at the next WMMAA Congress, taking into account the pending verdict of the independent commission
Schedule of Major 2016 MMA Events
 
Aug.3-8 – Asian MMA Championship in Hwasun, South Korea
Sept. 14-16 – European MMA Championship in Tbilisi, Georgia
Oct. 7-9 – Inaugural Pan-American Championships in Santiago, Chile
Nov. 18-20 – World MMM Championship in Macau, China
Information
Twitter:  @theWMMAA
Instagram: @worldmmaa
amateur mixed martial arts, Amateur MMA, mixed martial arts, MMA, WMMAA

World MMA Association 2016 Asian Championship RESCHEDULED Aug. 17-21 in South Korea

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MONTE CARLO, Monaco (May 8, 2016)- The  World MMA Association (WMMAA) has announced that, due to venue availability issues, its second annual Asian Championship has been rescheduled from May 27-30 to August 17-21 at the same site, the Hwasoon Culture and Sports Center. in the Republic of South Korea.
The Asian MMA Championship will feature the top amateur MMA fighters in six different weight classes.
“We had to postpone our annual Asian Championships but this way we’ll have even more time to prepare for the biggest amateur MMA event of the year on the Asian continent,” WMMAA president Vadim Finkelchtein said.  “The location and venue remain the same, which is great news because the site our South Korean Federation was able to find really suits our championship very well.”
An international judges’ seminar will be held Aug. 17-20, to certify and accredit judges.  Only accredit judges will be allowed to work during the Asian MMA Championships.  Preliminary and semifinal matches will be Aug. 19, followed by the championship final matches.
The official weigh-ins and competition draws will be conducted Aug. 27,
The Asia Division Congress: Battle of the Nomads of the WMMAA Pro Asian Division will be held Aug. 20.
Individual team competition will be held in accordance with the “Official Rules of Mixed Martial Arts Competition, subject to WMMAA approval. Including revisions, additions and clarifications of certain clauses.  Matches will held in accordance with the Olympic system with two third-places in each of the six weight divisions.
Team scoring is awarded by the maximum amount of points scored by individual team members on the following basis:  1st – 10, 2nd – 8, 3rd – 6, 4th – 5, 5th – 4, 6th – 3, 7th – 2, 8th – 1.
All individual first-place winners will be awarded special championship belts and medals, second and third-place finishers will receive a medal and certificate. Teams finishing among the top three in the final standings will be awarded cups and certificates.
In addition to the host, South Korea, other eligible countries to compete in the Asian MMA Championship include Afghanistan, China, Chinese Taipei, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Singapore, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.
 
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Chile newest member of World MMA Association

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MONTE CARLO, Monaco (April 26, 2016) — The World MMA Association (WMMAA) has announced that Chile is the newest member of its worldwide association.
The Chilean MMA Federation (Federation Chilena de MMA) is certified by the national Ministry of Sports.  Its inner-structure will be comprised of 15 branches, representing one for each region of Chile. There are currently eight MMA organizations with a goal to unite all under the umbrella of the Federation.
The Federation has developed MMA in various ways, from hosting regional amateur MMA championships to conducting seminars and educating officers.  The Chilean MMA Federation is headed by President Alberto Maturana Rodriguez and Vice President Christian Parra Campos.
“It is critical for an organization like ours to exist, to add unbiased structure not just for athletes, but also as a regulatory bodies,” Rodriguez (pictured to right) said.  “Much continues to happen since our appointment.  We just celebrated our first event under the WMMAA Pan-American Division and we look forward to using our experience and volumes of knowledge the Pan-American Division, as well as our honorary president Tomas Yu,brings to Chile and the sport.  We share the vision and with all our efforts, we will defend, promote and endorse MMA as a sport, and give all participants and fans a significant difference in the sport.
“We will continue to grow with every new country and take the MMA movement, as well as the recognition of MMA as a sport, forward.  We will work like a family with the Pan-American Division to support this sport in Chile.  We’re delighted to have been appointed and look forward to this opportunity of contributing to the WMMAA to continue the fight and make history in Chile and the MMA world.”
Chile is now a member of the WMMAA’s Pan-American Division, along with Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Cuba, Guatemala, Mexico, Nicaragua, Paraguay and Venezuela.
“On behalf of the World MMA Association Pan-American Division, we would like to congratulate and welcome the Chilean MMA Federation on its recent appointment as our new provisional affiliate,” added Yu (pictured to left), Pan-American Division president.  “In this WMMAA year of monumental progress, in which we will celebrate our fourth World MMA Association Champion this November in Macao, it will now allow us to focus on our inaugural Continental MMA Championship.
“It is important to reflect on how the WMMAA movement will continue to grow in a new era of MMA.  The WMMAA movement is essentially an educational movement and for this reason we encourage events such as the National Continental and International MMA Championships to promote MMA development, among all ages of participants, especially youth through sport, MMA and the WMMAA code of conduct.  Let us build together for a peaceful and better world.  Let us strive to provide and education for all in which sport, MMA and WMMAA ideals play and essential role, based on values, respect, dignity, tolerance and solidarity.”
amateur mixed martial arts, Amateur MMA, mixed martial arts, MMA, WMMAA

World MMA Association 2016 Asian Championship May 27-30 in South Korea

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MONTE CARLO, Monaco (April 19, 2016)- The second annual World MMA Association (WMMAA) Asian Championship will be held May 27-30 at Hwasoon Culture and Sports Center in the Republic of South Korea.
The Asian MMA Championship will feature the top amateur MMA fighters in six different weight classes.
“This year’s Asian MMA Championship is a significant milestone for our association,” WMMAA president Vadim Finkelchtein said.  “We strive to educate people from each country in which we hold regional championships. This time will be no different with more people learning the beauty of Mixed Martial Arts.  We’re also organizing a judges and referee seminar within a certification process.  We are looking forward to this event and hope to have as many Asian countries participating as possible.”
An international judges’ seminar will be held May 24-27, to certify and accredit judges.  Only accredit judges will be allowed to work during the Asian MMA Championships.  Preliminary and semifinal matches will be May 28, followed by the championship final matches.
The official weigh-ins and competition draws will be conductedMay 27,
The Asia Division Congress: Battle of the Nomads of the WMMAA Pro Asian Division will be held May 29.
Individual team competition will be held in accordance with the “Official Rules of Mixed Martial Arts Competition, subject to WMMAA approval. Including revisions, additions and clarifications of certain clauses.  Matches will held in accordance with the Olympic system with two third-places in each of the six weight divisions.
Team scoring is awarded by the maximum amount of points scored by individual team members on the following basis:  1st – 10, 2nd – 8, 3rd – 6, 4th – 5, 5th – 4, 6th – 3, 7th – 2, 8th – 1.
All individual first-place winners will be awarded special championship belts and medals, second and third-place finishers will receive a medal and certificate. Teams finishing among the top three in the final standings will be awarded cups and certificates.
In addition to the host, South Korea, other eligible countries to compete in the Asian MMA Championship include Afghanistan, China, Chinese Taipei, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Singapore and Tajikistan
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Amateur MMA, mixed martial arts, MMA, WMMAA

WMMAA President Vadim Finkelchtein Leading sport into future 

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MONTE CARLO, Monaco (March 14, 2016)- World Mixed Martial Arts Association (WMMAA) President Vadim Finkelchtein, who founded the sanctioning organization in 2012, continues to lead WMMAA and the sport into a very bright future.
In four short years, WMMAA has alreadydeveloped into the strongest sanctioning body in the MMA world, hosting some of the sport’s most prestigious championships, as well as creating a highly respected culture in throughout sports worldwide.
Finkelchtein answered some pertinent questions below about WMMAA, its past and future, in addition to addressing the growth of mixed martial arts:
Can you tell us about you and your experience in Martial Arts?
VF: “I practiced judo when I was a kid. Back then there was no MMA whatsoever.”

How did you first enter the world of MMA?
VF:  “In 1995, I was offered an opportunity to sponsor an MMA event. That’s when I learned about and fell in love with no holds barred, or free-fight, as it was called then. In 1997, I organized my own event in Russia. The rest is history.”

When did you first hear of MMA and what was your first impression? Did
you expect this sport to grow as much as it has today?
VF: “When I saw my first MMA event in 1995, I was amazed by its scale and how many people came to watch. People were genuinely interested. It was a whole other level and approach to a sports event. And I had seen a lot so I could compare empirically. I have always believed in MMA and expected it would eventually become the number one sport in the world, although back then no one would acknowledge MMA as a sport. Our
athletes and fight teams had a hard time. They were not even welcome in sambo gyms to train there. It was a long and a hard way to change MMA’s image that was deemed as human cock fighting or closely related to organized crime. Thanks to the fact I have never had any relations to crime, when this sport landed in my hands in late 90’s, it
helped greatly as we were able to turn the tide and after all these years to help governments to officially recognize MMA.”

What is your function and main activities within WMMAA?
VF: “I founded the World MMA Association in 2012 because I felt the time had come.  MMA is the fastest growing sport and it’s time to start developing it at another level, giving it a new but essential dimension. Due to its popularity, thousands of fans of all ages started practicing in Mixed Martial Arts. At that moment, I had accumulated a vast network in multiple countries. I knew countless numbers of activists across the globe, so the start was destined to happen. From the get-go over 20 countries joined the WMMAA family. At this moment there are over 60 countries and counting.”

How would you assess WMMAA’s progress during its three year existence?
VF: “WMMAA is still in its infancy. Yes, we lack experience and financing, and MMA is a new kind of sport in many regions. But I have to say that we’re growing and the last World Championship in Czech Republic proved it. Over 40 national teams flew to Prague with over 200 athletes. The level of competition evolved so much. The organizational level was also high and we are thankful to our Czech MMA Federation for its great work. This World Championship proved there is demand for MMA around the world.”

What are the main goals of WMMAA and what are the main obstacles facing
the association?
VF: “The goals are to encourage as many countries as possible to join the WMMAA
family, to facilitate them in their struggle to get MMA recognized in their respective countries, helping them develop amateur MMA. There are countless obstacles but I firmly believe we’ll prevail.”

Were there any countries that stood out or surprised you?
VF: “China surprised me a lot. They joined WMMAA recently but since then they’ve shown solid results. Also, I enjoyed the performance of Latin American teams. It was their debut but one Colombian kid (Andrey Roa Ruiz Dumar) won a bronze medal and that was great.
Once again, Russia won the majority of the medals due to amateur MMA there developing with extremely rapid strides ever since early 2012. Fedor Emelianenko is the main locomotive and driving force in Russia. The selection process there is just unbelievable. You can’t imagine how many steps one needs to make in order to become the champion of the Russian Federation. The City Championship, Oblast Championship, regional and national championship. Each of these events consists of at least three fights, which means that a Russian champion will probably have had at least won 15 fights under his belt by the time of the European or World Championships. Only truly the best get to the top. Imagine this: around 7,000 athletes participated in the aforementioned events in 2015.”

What are the 2016 mid-term goals for WMMAA?
VF: “The normal routine is to hold the Asian Championship, Pan-American Championship, multiple referee and judge seminars and certifications, then prepare for the European and, consequently, the World Championship that will coincide with the annual Congress.”

Can you describe what 2015 was like for WMMAA?
VF: “I was amazed with the Asian Championship in Tajikistan with thousands and thousands of fans at the stacked football stadium. I enjoyed watching how many people turned their eyes to an amateur MMA event.”

What words of wisdom would you like to share with the members of WMMAA family?
VF: “I’d ask all WMMAA members to adhere to the agreements and decisions we reached collectively. It pertains to the set of rules, judging process, equipment, unified rules, and youth sports development.”
WMMAA keeps expanding, however, there are still multiple countries that are not yet WMMAA members. Why should any local Federation apply for WMMAA membership?
VF: “WMMAA is the strongest MMA organization there is. We plan to continuously hold regional and world championships and keep developing and evolving. Athletes’ ethical upbringing is also our target. We believe this sport can give so much to the world in various ways and we put a lot of effort into its development.  We’ll gladly accept strong and worthy partners into our ranks.”
“We are truly an amateur association, although others may think we are not. The thing is it’s rather hard to verify the real records of MMA athletes. There is no official and ubiquitous database or instance that would provide 100-percentreliable and accurate information pertaining to the amount of fights under someone’s belt. Some amateur fights might be recorded as professional and professional fights as amateur, which was the reason for us canceling the previous rule of pro fight limitation for the time being, in order to develop a new system of fighters’ eligibility evaluation. We are working on that as we speak.”

People keep asking: why should we use SportID and SportData. Can you
explain why it is so essential?

VF: “We are an official and credible sport. Our association ought to be transparent. These databases show the data on athletes, their statistics and numbers. They show the quantitative as well as qualitative growth of mixed martial artists. They facilitate in overseeing the championships registered in SportData, helping to broadcast them. Furthermore, they contain so many functions that it would take me forever to discuss it. Just think of rankings, both individual and national, fighters’ profiles and so on.  I need to remind everyone that, based on the Congress decision, the use of and
registration in these databases are mandatory for all our members.”
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Amateur MMA, mixed martial arts, MMA, WMMAA

Meet Tomas Yu WMMAA Vice President

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MONTE CARLO, Monaco (February 25, 2016)- World MMA Association (WMMAA) vice president Tomas Yu, of Albuquerque (NM), who is also president of the WMMAA Pan-American division, took time from his busy schedule to address questions about his MMA background and experience, the sport of MMA and WWMMA in particular.
Can you tell us about you and your experience in Martial Arts?
TY: “I’m from the generation that grew up watching 3 Ninjas,Ninja Turtles… I wanted to be a Ninja!  I grew up practicing Tae Kwon Do in Mexico, all the way to my black belt. At age 18, I ventured to practice Aikido and Judo in El Paso, Texas. I loved learning and I always wanted to be a rounded student, which is why I always looked for different arts to offset the weaknesses of the other.”
How did you first enter the world of MMA?
TY: “I was really looking for a place I could introduce my daughter to Martial Arts. I was looking for a more rounded self-defense Martial Art but not a fight club. I was introduced to the sport of MMA by a good friend and pioneer of the sport, Chris Luttrell.  I was immediately bonded to the sport, since that is what at one point all Martial Artists are looking for.”
When did you first hear of MMA and what was your first impression? Did
you expect this sport to grow as much as it is now?
TY: “I have been privileged to see the evolution of MMA since 1993 as a teenager, all the way to now, becoming the first Pan-American Division President in the most important Regulation Organization for MMA in the world.”
What is your function and main activities within WMMAA?
TY “My biggest function is to introduce simple business principles to the sport of MMA and keeping Martial Art in MMA. What I mean by that is, the common denominator for every individual Marital Art are (Respect, Loyalty, Honor) and the mixture of martial arts should not represent what people perceive MMA is today. It should be a mixture of Respect, Loyalty and Honor. It should be a much more admired sport.”
How would you assess WMMAA’s progress during its three year existence?
TY: “Well, as an entrepreneur, I’m never satisfied, I always see ways to do things better but the reality is that, in the 25+ years MMA has been evolving and becoming not just a mixture of Martial Arts but also a true blue sport. Many people have tried to add value to the sport with no real success until this past two years with the WMMAA.”
What are the main goals of WMMAA and what are the main obstacles for the association?
TY: “This question has a long and complicated answer! The number one obstacle is pride, pride to admit that past performance or formulas to add value didn’t and won’t work. Pride to admit that working together will pave a new path.  The number two obstacle, is UNDERSTANDING, understanding the big picture, like Micro and Macro economics really being two different worlds.
“The sport or art of MMA is much more than what we see on television. There is a much deeper impact to society than pay per view.”
How do you assess the third World Championship that took place in
Prague?
TY: “Moments like these are the ones that 3 years ago we would dream about.  Well, last year that dream came true… over 40 countries participated in the beautiful city of Prague.  I can’t explain the clash of emotions when you see and hear country after country being announced as they walk into the arena with their head held high as they carry their national flag.
We as an organization created Continental Presidents to be able to perform better follow through and also be more sensitive negotiating in different cultural environments. Our Europe and Czech Organizing Committee did a wonderful job.
Were there any countries that stood out or surprised you?
TY: “The fact they were there, that’s what really stands out! Some countries were participating for the first time. The level of mental competition for some countries was amazing. I can’t wait for the 2016 World Championships.”
What are the2016 mid-term goals for WMMAA PanAm?
TY: “The number one focus for PANAM is the roll-out of our new initiative on ‘Global MMA Officials and Licensing’ to standardize the sport worldwide, but also standardize the officials looking out for the sport.”
Can you describe what 2015 was like for WMMAA?
TY: “2015 was a year of foundations, recruiting, and preparing for the volumes of growth coming our way this year.”
What words of wisdom would you like to share with the members of WMMAA family?
TY:  “I have always said that in every sport there is a business behind it, believing: ‘Till this far, MMA is like Capital… it goes where it is welcomed and it stays where it’s treated well'”
WMMAA keeps expanding. However there are still multiple countries that
are not yet WMMAA members. Why should any local Federation apply
for WMMAA membership?
TY: “We are the only organization of its kind. They would be able to get courses, national and international licenses but, most importantly, they can be part of history by allowing athletes in their respective countries to participate in our version of the Olympics of MMA.”
What would you tell them?
TY: “You are not alone.  Here is where being part of a team with qualified individuals opening door. Power really does come in numbers.”

People keep asking: why should we use SportID and SportData. Can you
repeat why it is so essential?

TY: “I’ll keep it short. The number one reason – reason enough – is to avoid private owned companies from having biased control on who and how they upload information.”
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mixed martial arts, MMA, WMMAA

WMMAA Pan-American Congress Feb. 5-8 in Albuquerque, New Mexico

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WMMAA: The future of MMA
MONTE CARLO, Monaco (January 21, 2016) – The second annual World MMA Association (WMMAA) Pan-American Congress will be held February 5–7 at The Albuquerque Hispano Chamber of Commerce in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
The Pan-Am Congress focuses on structure to continue building the introduction and rollout of the WMMAA worldwide officials licensing and database with more than 56 countries participating in the Licensing of MMA Officials. The Congress will touch on calendar roll out of the first bachelor’s and master’s degree program for Combat Sports Administration.

The PANAM Multi-Media Committee, led by Univision’s Carlos Fourzan, is working with Communications Director Edgar Camposand Fernando Cuscuela, Co-Founder of EveryPost, on the launch of “ENLACE,” the exclusive correspondent network program through communication faculties around the globe. The WMMAA PANAM has a very unique and progressive way by working with areas of government, sports, tourism, education and national defense.
“The Pan-American Congress is about the WMMAA movement,” WMMAA Pan-American Division President Tomas Yu explained.   It is essentially an education movement and it is for this reason that we encourage efforts to promote the development of MMA at its grassroots. The common denominator of every single/standalone marital art is respect, honor and loyalty. The mixture of martial arts shouldn’t be any different.”
(L-R) – Ernie C’da Baca, Vice President of the Albuquerque Hispano Chamber of Commerce, and Tomas Yu, President of the WMMAA Pan-American Division
The Albuquerque Hispano Chamber of Commerce is located at 1309 4th St. SW in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
 
“We are honored and excited to be able to host the WMMAA and be part of history once again,” Albuquerque Hispano Chamber of Commerce Vice President Ernie C’ de Baca said.  “New Mexico has been notorious for its fighting champions in different combat sports, but we also have many business champions! Here at The Albuquerque Hispano Chamber of Commerce, we are the camp behind that business champion.”
 
The Pan-American Congress is held in conjunction with the 2016 PANAM CAMP, where athletes from all of Latin America will be training in Albuquerque from Jan. 27–Feb. 8. Leading the MMA Camp is world known Coach Chris Luttrell (The Fight Authority) and conditioning by Curt Chavez (eVOLV Strong).
For additional information or to inquire about participating in this event, please contact Edgar Campos at press.panam@wmmaa.org.
 
The Albuquerque Hispano Chamber of Commerce President Alex Romero
 
  
(L-R) – The Albuquerque Hispano Chamber of Commerce Alex Romero and WMMAA Pan-American Division President Tomas Yu
 
 
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ABOUT WMMAA:  Its goal is to provide proper structure to guardrail the growth of MMA inside & outside the cage.  A non-profit organization founded in 2012, WMMAA is on a mission to develop a standardized and regulated governing organization, including competition, training, officiating, testing and growth when necessary. Its not an easy process, but more than 50 countries have been granted WMMAA membership.
Amateur MMA, mixed martial arts, MMA, WMMAA

Three World Champions Capture top honors in 2015 Russian MMA Super Cup

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Living legend and WMMAA Honorary President Fedor Emelianenko served as color commentator for the broadcast of the recent 2015 Russian MMA Super Cup
CHELYABINSK, Russia (December 16, 2015) — Fresh off of their winning performances at last month’s 2015 World MMA Championships in Prague, a trio of individual winners from championship Team Russia also captured top honors at the recent 2015 Russian Super Cup, sanctioned by the World Mix Martial Arts Association (WMMAA), in Chelyabinsk, Russia
Bantamweight Bakhachali Bakhachaliev, middleweight Gamzat Khiramagomedov and light heavyweight Magomed Ankalaev were the three World champions who were also victorious at the 2015 Russian MMA Super Cup.
Internationally renowned “Big” John McCarthy served as referee.
Below find a breakdown of official results from each weight class with video links to corresponding matches:
2015 Russian MMA Super Cup
Bantamweights Championship (-61.2 kg, 135 lbs.)
Bakhachali Bakhachaliev WDEC3 Armen Gulyan
Featherweight Championship (-65.8 kg, 145 lbs.)
Nabi Ashurlaev WDEC3 Mansur Vitaev
Lightweight Championship (-70.3 kg, 154 lbs.)
Artur Zainukov WDEC3 Kamil Magomedov
Welterweight Championship (-77.1 kg, 170 lbs.)
Alibeg Rasulov WDEC3 Ramazan Kuramagomedov
Middleweight Championship (-84 kg, 185 lbs.)
Gamzat Khiramagomedov WDEC3 Ramazan Gamzatov
Light Heavyweight Championship (-93 kg, 205 lbs.)
Magomed Ankalaev WTKO1 Nadyr Bulkadarov
Heavyweight Championship (+205 lbs.)
Amirkhan Isagadzhiev WTKO1 Georgy Sakaev
 
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Russian fighters dominate 2015 World MMA Championships

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PRAGUE, Czech Republic (December 7, 2015) — Russian fighters dominated the recent 2015 World MMA Championships (WMMAA), winning gold medals in six of seven divisions to easily capture the team title, in Prague, Czech Republic.
On the strength of Zaur Gadzhibabaev’s victory in the heavyweight competition, Azerbaijan won a silver medal in terms of quality medals won in team competition. Gadzhibabaev became the first two-time WMMAA champion.   In quantity of medals earned, Kazakhstan won five silver and one bronze medal, second only to Russia with seven, including six golds and one bronze.
In other team scoring, Latvia and Tajikistan both won silver medals; China, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan and Georgia took home two bronze medals apiece; Greece, Colombia, Czech Republic and Ukraine all earned one bronze medal.
Here’s a breakdown of results from each weight class:
BANTAMWEIGHT DIVISION: -61.2 kg (135 lbs.)
1. Bakhachali Bakhachaliev (Russia)
2. Sergey Morozov (Kazakhstan)
3. Andrey Roa Ruiz Dumar (Colombia)
3. Yuan Liu Ping (China)
FEATHERWEIGHT DIVISION: -65.8 kg (145 lbs.)
1. Magomed Yunusilau (Russia)
2. Zhumageldi Zhalgassuly (Kazakhstan)
3. Archil Taziashvili (Georgia)
3. Elnur Veliev (Ukraine)
LIGHTWEIGHT DIVISION: -70.3 kg (154 lbs.)
1. Gadzhi Rabadanov (Russia)
2. Loik Radzhabov (Tajikistan)
3. Rashid Dagaev (Kazakhstan)
3. Changxin Fu (China)
WELTERWEIGHT DIVISION: -77.1 kg (170 lbs.)
1. Gadzhimurad Khiramagomedov (Russia)
2. Shavkat Rakhmonov (Kazakhstan)
3. Denis Maher (Belarus)
3. Beknazar Kainazar uulu (Kyrgyzstan)
MIDDLEWEIGHT DIVISION: -84 kg (185 lbs.)
1. Gamzat Khiramagomedov (Russia)
2. Dauren Ermekov (Kazakhstan)
3. Daniyar Abdibaev (Kyrgyzstan)
3. Giorgi Lobjanidze (Georgia)
LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT DIVISION: -93 kg (205 lbs.)
1. Magomed Ankalaev (Russia)
2. Khasan Mezhiev (Latvia)
3. Michal Kotalik (Czech Republic)
3. Yulian Borisov (Belarus)
HEAVYWEIGHT DIVISION: +93 kg (+205 lbs.)
1. Zaur Gadzhibabaev (Azerbaijan)
2. Mokhmad Sulimanov (Kazakhstan)
3. Rizvan Kuniev (Russia)
3. Angelos Giatras (Greece)
 

Go here to watch video of the 2015 WMMAA Championships:

 
CHAMPIONS’ QUOTES OF NOTE
 
2015 WMMAA Bantamweight Champion Bakhachali Bakhachali:
“It was a wonderful experience. You know it was a long road. I’m so glad it’s over and I was successful in reaching all the goals I had set. The final fight was very hard, my opponent was a serious test for me. He’s physically strong and determined. But thanks God I got the victory.
“The next step is of course the Russian MMA SuperCup. I hope God will help me win it.
I’d like to say thank you to my coaches: Rasul Magomed-Aliev, Abdulla Gaidarbekov. Thanks to Shamil Alibatyrov who was cornering me throughout the whole championship and helped me a lot.”

2015 WMMAA Featherweight Champion Magomed Yunusilau:
“Extreme happiness. First of all, I was not sure I would be able to participate because of injuries, but my coaches, friends and family helped me gather physically and mentally. I flew to Prague and got the best possible result.
“I had four fights. The first one (1/8) went the distance. My opponent, from Colombia, was really determined, he would not give up. It was a hard-fought battle. In my other fights I finished all three opponents.
“First, I need to heal my injuries; it’s revalidation time. I’ll take a break for the first post-World Championship week and then I’ll focus on my health. I have issues with my back and one knee. And then, God bless, I’ll get back in business within 2-3 months. I intend to transfer to professional MMA competition. We have great coaches and the team that are highly qualified and able to facilitate in my transition. I’m sure I’ll be OK.”

2015 WMMAA Lightweight Champion Gadzhi Rabadanov:
“I’m extremely happy. It’s such a nice feeling to make your friends and family happy. I’m really grateful for all support I got from them.
“I had four fights in total and I finished all of my opponents. I can’t say which one was harder, everyone in front of me was quite good in his own right.
“If I look back, I’ve had five full training camps this year. Now, it’s time for a break from competition. I need to heal my wounds, rest and then return as a different fighter. There is enough room for improvement.  I know I had one more fight planned at the Russian MMA SuperCup in December but I’ll have to cancel it because of my knee injury. Moreover it’s rather hard to make weight twice within a 10-day frame. It would be to the detriment of my health under these circumstances. Sorry, everyone who was hoping to watch me fight in Chelyabinsk (Russia –wmmaa.org) come December 5.”

2015 WMMAA Welterweight Champion Gadzhimurad Khiramagomedov:
“I can’t describe my feelings right now. It has been a long road. Two years ago, me and my brother, (Gamzat Khiramagomedov – wmmaa.org) set our sights on the World Championship. And here we are – both champions. I’m so happy.
“I really need to repair my body before planning anything else. My hand and foot are broken. One ligament is torn on my left leg. I need time to heal and then we’ll see.”
2015 WMMAA Middleweight Champion Gamzat Khiramagomedov:
“This experience is the best possible. After all work that I had done it’s time to catch a breath for a little while. Still, I’m not going to relax on my laurels. I have a fight scheduled at the SuperCup against Gamazan Gamzatov. After that fight I’ll be able to rest normally.
“At the World Championship I had four bouts. Assessing my opponents, I can say they were all good fighters. The hardest battle I had was against a warrior from Georgia. He would not give up; extremely powerful and good wrestler. I injured my left arm that’s why I couldn’t show my best in the finals. However, I’m so happy I made my people smile, especially my brother, Gadzhimurad, who puts a lot of effort into helping me. He’s always happier than me when I win. He’s my biggest fan.”
 

2015 WMMA Light Heavyweight Champion Magomed Ankalaev:
“My feelings are the best possible. Gold in this amateur MMA World Championship had been my target for a long time.
“I had five fights and the final one was the most difficult for me. I felt huge responsibility because it was up to me whether or not the Russian flag would be flying that high. Thank God, I was able to achieve that.
“I plan to take part in the Russian MMA SuperCup. After that, I’ll take a rest that, I believe, I’ll have fully deserved.”

2015 WMMA Heavyweight Champion Zaur Gadzhibabaev:
“A lot was at stake in the finals since my opponent, Mokhmad Sulimanov, wanted to avenge his loss from last year’s WMMAA World Championship. I’m glad I prevailed again.
“I’m honored to be the first two-time WMMAA champion.  The competitors in my division were outstanding this year.  I trained very hard to give my best and I’m very happy with my performances during the tournament.”
 
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