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International Federation · MMA · Amateur

IMMAF — International Mixed Martial Arts Federation

The International Mixed Martial Arts Federation, which its 2021 Statutes say was founded in Stockholm in 2012, runs amateur MMA world championships; it is not recognised by the IOC.
✓ Last reviewed: September 2026
FoundedStockholm, Sweden, 29 February 2012, as the IMMAF Statutes state[3]
StatutesIMMAF Statutes 2021, adopted 13 February 2021[3]
Members“Over 130 national federations”, per the IMMAF annual report for October 2023 – October 2024[6]
IOC statusNot recognised; the IMMAF stated in 2024 that “MMA is not recognized by the IOC”[7]
Anti-dopingWADA Code signatory; testing by the International Testing Agency from 1 January 2024[5][9]
PresidentKerrith Brown (United Kingdom), elected 20 June 2015, as the IMMAF states[1]

What is the IMMAF?

The International Mixed Martial Arts Federation is an international federation for amateur mixed martial arts (MMA). It describes itself as “the global body for MMA” on its own site, and its Statutes call it “a non-profit world-wide organisation for the sport of mixed martial arts (MMA)”.[1][3] Those Statutes, adopted on 13 February 2021, set its objects as promoting MMA “in accordance with the principles of the Olympic Charter”, organising world and continental championships and world cups, and abiding by the World Anti-Doping Code.[3]

The body governs the amateur, national-team form of the sport. Its own comparison is that “Amateur MMA is to professional MMA what Olympic boxing is to professional prize-fighting.”[4] The professional sport sits outside it: professional bouts are run by promotions such as the UFC, PFL and ONE Championship, and the IMMAF notes that professional competitors have fought since 2001 under the Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts, developed with US state regulators.[4] The UFC is listed among the IMMAF’s partners, and the IMMAF’s history page says the federation was founded with the UFC’s support.[1][2] The IMMAF is run by a Board of Directors, which includes non-executive directors for Africa, Asia, Europe and Pan-America, and a chief executive. Its committees and commissions cover anti-doping, discipline, ethics, medical matters, safeguarding, women, youth development and athletes, among others.[1]

What does the IMMAF govern or do?

The IMMAF writes the amateur rules used at its events: the IMMAF Amateur MMA Rules, in a Junior and Senior edition and a Youth edition, both dated 2021, with a 2026 Youth rules summary alongside them.[4] Its championships are divided into youth, junior and senior age groups, and in November 2025 it adopted a year-of-birth system for its youth divisions from 2026.[4][15]

Anti-doping is a formal part of its remit. The IMMAF states that its anti-doping framework has been “based on the WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency) Code and Standards” since 2015, and that the International Testing Agency (ITA) has managed its testing since 1 January 2024: in- and out-of-competition controls, the Athlete Biological Passport, therapeutic use exemptions and results management.[5] The IMMAF’s 2024 annual report records the same ITA partnership starting in January 2024.[6] WADA’s list of Code signatories carries the IMMAF among international federations outside the Olympic and Paralympic Movement.[9]

Its published instruments include a Code of Ethics, Disciplinary Regulations, a Safeguarding Policy and a Competition Integrity and Manipulation Policy, alongside board minutes from 2012 onwards, annual reports and audited accounts.[16] In the IMMAF’s own account, professional MMA is overseen by state athletic commissions and regional regulators, while the IMMAF sets uniform amateur standards internationally.[4]

When was the IMMAF founded and where is it based?

The IMMAF Statutes state that the federation was “founded for an unlimited period of time in Stockholm, Sweden, the 29th of February 2012”.[3] The IMMAF’s history page names its founders as August Wallén and George Sallfeldt, and says it was founded in Sweden with the support of the UFC.[2] No independent source confirming the founding date could be retrieved, so the date rests on the IMMAF’s own documents.

The same history page records that a second body, the World Mixed Martial Arts Association (WMMAA), was founded in Monaco in 2012 by Vadim Finkelchtein, and that the two were “independently established in 2012”.[2] In the IMMAF’s account, the Global Association of International Sports Federations (GAISF) advised the two bodies in June 2017 to cooperate. In May 2018 they signed what the IMMAF calls “a legally binding, affiliation MOU”, and in November 2018 they completed a full agreement, with a first unified world championships contested by 52 nations. At the IMMAF’s General Assembly in November 2019, the IMMAF board expanded to take in elected representatives from the WMMAA.[2]

On the seat, the Statutes state: “IMMAF is registered and the office located in Switzerland, unless otherwise decided by the Board of Directors.” They give no street address.[3] Kerrith Brown of the United Kingdom has been president since 20 June 2015, and Densign White was announced as chief executive in November 2014, according to the IMMAF.[1]

How is the IMMAF recognised?

IOC: the IMMAF is not recognised by the International Olympic Committee. In a statement of November 2024 it wrote that “MMA is not recognized by the IOC” and that “Pankration is not a discipline recognized by the IOC”, answering what it called rumours about IOC recognition after a United World Wrestling assembly of 27 October 2024.[7] The IMMAF is not listed on the member page of the Association of IOC Recognised International Sports Federations (ARISF).[10]

SportAccord and AIMS: in a release of 5 August 2024 the IMMAF announced a “Road to Recognition” campaign seeking recognition from SportAccord and inclusion in the Alliance of Independent Recognised Members of Sport (AIMS).[8] Its November 2024 statement said that “The process of recognition of IMMAF within AIMS is on its way”.[7] Its annual report for October 2023 to October 2024 said that a recognition application process it had expected to open in January “has not yet materialised”, without naming the body concerned.[6] AIMS’s own member list could not be retrieved, so the outcome of that application is not confirmed.

WADA: WADA lists the IMMAF as a Code signatory.[9]

Other bodies: the Global Association of Mixed Martial Arts (GAMMA) is a separate international MMA body. The International Testing Agency describes GAMMA as “the world governing body for the sport of Mixed Martial Arts” and has run its anti-doping programme since October 2020; WADA also lists GAMMA as a Code signatory.[11][9] Neither body is on the ARISF list.[10]

What does the IMMAF organise?

World Championships: the IMMAF held its first “IMMAF World Championships of Amateur MMA” in Las Vegas in 2014.[2] The senior and junior World Championships of 2024 were held in Tashkent from 5 to 10 November, and the youth edition in Abu Dhabi in August 2024.[13][6] On 2 May 2025 the IMMAF announced a three-year agreement with Georgia to host the senior and junior World Championships in 2025, 2026 and 2027.[12] The 2025 edition was held in Tbilisi, scheduled from 27 September to 2 October 2025; the IMMAF’s reports from it run to 4 October 2025.[12][13] The 2026 Youth World Championships in Abu Dhabi were completed in August 2026, with IMMAF results reports dated 18 to 25 August.[13][15]

Continental championships: the IMMAF’s 2024 calendar included European (Belgrade), African (Windhoek), Asian (Lahore) and Pan-American (Monterrey) championships. The 2025 European and African championships appear in its championship reports for February and May 2025.[6][13]

Multi-sport Games: MMA is not an Olympic sport, and the IMMAF’s published recognition work in 2024 was aimed at SportAccord and AIMS rather than the IOC.[7][8]

Who are its members?

Under the Statutes, membership is open to national bodies only: “Membership is available to any non-profit national MMA organisation, which holds regular national competitions, and works for the development of the sport nationwide and in its clubs and other associations.”[3] The IMMAF’s history page says it has “over 120 national federations as members, with around 50 recognised by their National Olympic Committee or National Sports Authority”. Its annual report for October 2023 to October 2024 gives a later figure of “Over 130 national federations”.[2][6] Its national-federations page, retrieved on 30 September 2026, states no total; it lists federations under five continental headings, Pan America, Asia, Europe, Oceania and Africa, and marks several entries “Under Review”.[14] No independent count of the membership could be retrieved.

Continental bodies: the 2024 annual report names the Asian MMA Federation (AMMAF), the African MMA Confederation (AMMAC) and the Pan-American Confederation (PCMMA).[6] AMMAC held its second General Assembly in Luanda in April 2026. In February 2026 the IMMAF held its first European elective General Assembly, which elected a European leadership. Its 2025 General Assembly, held in Tbilisi on 1 October 2025, elected new board members.[15]

Russia: an IMMAF release of 5 May 2026 is headed “IMMAF Reinstates Russian MMA Union Membership ahead of Youth World Championships in Abu Dhabi”.[15] The Russian MMA Union appears on the IMMAF’s national-federations page.[14]

References

  1. IMMAF — Who we are (board, president, partners). Accessed 2026-09-30.
  2. IMMAF — History (IMMAF and WMMAA, 2012–2019). Accessed 2026-09-30.
  3. IMMAF Statutes 2021 (adopted 13 February 2021). Accessed 2026-09-30.
  4. IMMAF — What is MMA (IMMAF Amateur MMA Rules, 2021 editions). Accessed 2026-09-30.
  5. IMMAF — Anti-doping (ITA programme from 1 January 2024). Accessed 2026-09-30.
  6. IMMAF Annual Report, October 2023 – October 2024. Accessed 2026-09-30.
  7. IMMAF — Statement: rumors and clarifications (November 2024). Accessed 2026-09-30.
  8. IMMAF — Road to Recognition campaign (5 August 2024). Accessed 2026-09-30.
  9. WADA — Code signatories. Accessed 2026-09-30.
  10. ARISF — Members. Accessed 2026-09-30.
  11. International Testing Agency — Global Association of Mixed Martial Arts (GAMMA). Accessed 2026-09-30.
  12. IMMAF — Georgia to host 2025 IMMAF World Championships as part of 3-year deal (2 May 2025). Accessed 2026-09-30.
  13. IMMAF — Championships news archive. Accessed 2026-09-30.
  14. IMMAF — National federations. Accessed 2026-09-30.
  15. IMMAF — Governance news archive. Accessed 2026-09-30.
  16. IMMAF — Official documents (statutes, policies, minutes, reports). Accessed 2026-09-30.