IMMAF welcomes first Middle Eastern rep with approval of Jordan Mixed Martial Arts Federation

The International Mixed Martial Arts Federation (IMMAF) recently welcomed its first Middle Eastern member with the approval of the Jordan Mixed Martial Arts Federation.

Founded in 2009 and formally established in 2013, the Jordan Mixed Martial Arts Federation began as a committee under the umbrella of the Jordanian Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation. However, after completing a mandated two-year trial period, the organization was deemed eligible for full-fledged federation status and approval by the Jordanian Olympic Committee.

“The Jordan MMA Federation is honored to join the IMMAF family,” His Highness Prince Hussein Mirza, Chairman of the Jordan Mixed Martial Arts Federation stated. “The sport of MMA has been going through a meteoric rise in the MENA (Middle East and North Africa) region and, the efforts of the Jordan MMA Federation is a solid example to be followed in the region.”

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, Brazil, Cameroon, Canada, Denmark, El Salvador, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Lebanon, Lithuania, Nepal, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Romania, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine and the U.K., among others. Eventually the group hopes to extend around the globe and establish internationally recognized procedures for governing MMA and earn official recognition of the sport from SportAccord, a process that could eventually lead to the sport being considered for inclusion in the Olympics.

“We are very pleased to welcome the Jordan MMA Federation and are impressed with the professionalism of such a young federation in a country where MMA is quite new,” IMMAF President Bertrand Amoussou stated. “The language barrier has proven it sometimes difficult for us to present the IMMAF in the Arab region and widely carry out the message of how crucial a non-profit, democratic structure is for the future and safety of the sport. Now with a member in the region dedicated to help out with translations and introductions, we are confident that our work of creating a safe environment for the Arab MMA communities will move at a quicker pace.”

The International MMA Federation is expected to crown amateur world MMA champions at the first IMMAF World Championships, which will coincide with July 2014’s UFC Fan Expo in Las Vegas and is the main attraction of the UFC’s International Fight Week. The fan-focused festival coincides with the organization’s annual Independence Day weekend pay-per-view offering.

For more information on the IMMAF, visit the organization’s official website at IMMAF.org.