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FIMMA to fire MMA’s Olympics push
The global body, comprising of about 50 nations, including india, came into being in Athens earlier this week
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New Delhi: Mixed martial arts (MMA) has taken a decisive step toward its Olympic ambitions with the founding of the Federation of International Mixed Martial Arts (FIMMA) in Athens, Greece.
Delegates from nearly 50 countries and regions including India, attending on behalf of their National Olympic Committees and national MMA federations, gathered in Athens on Wednesday to endorse a unified global framework and back the long-term goal of seeing MMA included in the Olympic Games.
Founded by Gordon Tang, President of the Asian Mixed Martial Arts Association (AMMA) and Isidoros Kouvelos, President the Hellenic Olympic Committee, FIMMA also announced a strategic partnership with the International Olympic Academy aimed at creating a global development programme for MMA coaches and referees.
MMA has already been approved as a medal event at several upcoming continental competitions, including the 2026 Asian Games, the 2026 Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games and the 2025 Asian Youth Games.
FIMMA seeks to raise technical, officiating and safety standards across all participating nations in these events. A consistent and credible structure for coaching and refereeing is essential if MMA is to meet the expectations with Olympic sports.
Officials from both FIMMA and the Olympic academy highlighted that the credibility of technical officials will be central to shaping the sport’s Olympic pathway.
FIMMA confirmed that it will formally adopt the Asian MMA ruleset. The format removes cages and rings to enhance athlete safety. The framework has already been implemented at major Asian competitions and is being positioned as a more universal standard for international events.
“For India, it opens the door for our athletes to stand proudly on a larger stage, compete under a recognised structure, and aspire toward future participation in the Olympic movement,” said Nikhil Kunder, President of MMA-SFI.
With its establishment complete, FIMMA will now begin onboarding more member federations and drafting a roadmap for inclusion in future continental and multi-sport events. With these steps, the aim is to demonstrate MMA’s readiness for eventual representation on the Olympic stage.
