Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) in Malaysia has reached another milestone. At the inaugural International Mixed Martial Arts Federation (IMMAF) World Championships which is going to be held in Las Vegas Nevada, United States of America from 29 June 2014 to 7 July 2014, a national team of talented MMA fighters will represent the country and compete at the championship which involves teams from all over the world. This occasion is made possible for “Team Malaysia” by the sanction of the Ministry of Youth and Sports Malaysia (Kementerian Belia dan Sukan Malaysia) who remains our staunchest supporter and ally.
At the IMMAF World Championships, the world will witness the first ever amateur world champions to be crowned across all weight categories at the Ultimate Fighting Championship Fan Expo in July 2014. Amateur fighters from around the world including Malaysia have competed for the honour of representing their countries, and our national team is ready to hit Las Vegas!
Minister of Youth and Sports, YB Khairy Jamaluddin said “This is a momentous achievement for Malaysia as we are the only Southeast Asian country taking part and the only recognised SEA MMA Federation. Indeed, MMA has come a long way in Malaysia and MASMMAA (Persatuan Mixed Martial Arts Malaysia) will continue to identify and to work with the best MMA organisations in the world to ensure Malaysians will have the opportunities to test themselves against the world’s best. We hope to continue charting the roadmap to have Malaysians enjoy the best MMA successes in the time to come.”
After months of going through the selection process, 5 fighters have been chosen to represent the country. Prabu Somanaidu, Alllen Solomon Chong, Keanu Subba, Adrian Tham and Jim Chong Jing Yi will carry the Malaysian flag in Las Vegas with the hopes of showing to the world what Malaysians are made of. These 5 fighters are the talents unearth through the Malaysian Invasion Mixed Martial Arts Fighting Championship (MIMMA) organized by Tune Talk, in which all of them are the current champions. This further proves the credibility of them to represent the country at the IMMAF Fighting Championships.
The team will be led by a group of officials to ensure everything goes smoothly. Cody Stevens, a seasoned professional MMA fighter and Matthew Pellino, a seasoned collegiate wrestler, will be the coaching team for the fighters. Both are from America but they are common to the MMA scene in Asia especially Malaysia. Brent Yap, the MASMMAA secretary will act as the team manager, and Alex Wong the Deputy President of the MASMMAA will be the chef de mission.
The journey of Team Malaysia to Las Vegas is also made possible with the involvement of reputable companies and brands that are very supportive towards our efforts in establishing the sport in Malaysia. Among those companies are Everybody Martial Arts, Tiger Muay Thai & MMA Training Camp, All Fit Gym, Throwdown Malaysia, Kick Boxers Equipment and Supplies, Met Rx Malaysia and KT Tape Malaysia. With their support, the passage of Team Malaysia to Las Vegas is smoother. The fighters are very motivated to dominate the IMMAF World Championship with all the support given by all companies especially Ministry of Youth and Sports.
The President of MASMMAA, Jalluddin Abu Hassan said “The IMMAF World Championship will further establish Malaysia on the MMA world map and as an MMA powerhouse in Asia. MASMMA is always looking for channels to develop the sport in Malaysia. By sending the team to Las Vegas, we are setting a benchmark to all the fighters locally so that they will push themselves to a level in which they can compete internationally. Team Malaysia will make sure everyone in Las Vegas will remember the name of our country. Not everything that happens in Vegas stays in Vegas!”
