IMMAF establishes anti-doping committee, commits to meet WADA standards by 2014

The International Mixed Martial Arts Federation today announced it has established an anti-doping committee that is focused on enabling its members to meet World Anti-Doping Agency compliance in one year’s time.

According to an official release, the IMMAF took the step because “battling performance enhancing substance abuse is crucial not only to ensure fair play but most importantly from a health and safety perspective.”

Bertrand Amoussou, Vice President of the IMMAF and President of the French MMA Federation, has been selected to chair the committee, and IMMAF member federations have asked to nominate candidates to fill the committee.

According to the IMMAF’s announcement, “the first order of business for the committee is to investigate implementation for WADA compliance within the member federations and implications on matters such as sanctioning of professional events and compliance with the national guidelines in each individual country.”

That process is expected to take six months, at which point the IMMAF will outline it’s anti-doping plans and submit them to WADA for approval.

The committee has established its responsibilities as:

• Development and maintenance of IMMAF anti-doping policies and procedures, ensuring compliance with the WADA code
• Education of member federations and assistance in implementation of anti-doping policies and procedures
• Development of IMMAF anti-doping education and information programs for all stakeholders
• Development and maintenance of the IMMAF doping control program including pre- and post-competition testing, result based testing, random testing and targeted testing
• Establishment of criteria for and maintenance of the IMMAF Registered Testing Pool (RTP), identifying those who need provide their whereabouts
• WADA and national anti-doping organization communication
• Annual report on IMMAF anti-doping activities

Started in 2012, the IMMAF was created to “further the development and recognition of the sport of MMA, enabling international competition through the organization of national federations around the world” and quickly added federations in the U.S., Austria, Belgium, Sweden, Norway, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Ireland, Nepal and the U.K

Recently, athletic commissions in France and Brazil joined the IMMAF, which also has received support from the UFC, the world’s largest MMA promotion.