French Olympic Committee Validates Decision for MMA to be Housed Within French Boxing

- MMA GOVERNING BODIES RESPOND

[London. 7 February 2020] The International Mixed Martial Arts Federation (IMMAF) and the Comité Français de Mixed Martial Arts (CFMMA) welcome today’s validation by the CNOSF (the French National Olympic and Sports Committee) of the Ministry of Sport decision for MMA to be legalised in France under the auspices of the French Boxing Federation.

IMMAF President Kerrith Brown commented:

"The official announcement by the CNOSF is a crucial step on the path to creating a dynamic MMA structure in France. IMMAF will continue to supply constructive support and advice to all the MMA stakeholders."

IMMAF Board Director and CFMMA Co-President, Bertrand Amoussou said:

"After many years of commitment and hard work by MMA activists in France, it is a major milestone that CNOSF has recognised our sport. We are now looking forward to working hard, and in a unified way, to ensure that the structures set up to govern MMA work as well as possible."

The decision concludes a tender launched by the Ministry of Sports in 2019 to decide under which federation the sport’s governance would be developed to enable the legalisation of MMA in France. In France, by law, all sports must be governed within the structures of a government recognised federation and meet specific administrative criteria over a number of years. The interim housing of MMA within a comparative sport’s structures has allowed the Minister of Sport to fast-track the legalisation and regulation of MMA, while MMA’s stake holding organisations within the country are still in a developmental phase.

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Notes for Editors:

IMMAF has a seven-year track record of organising international amateur MMA Championships and developing the sport globally.

IMMAF has close to 100 members and National Olympic Committee recognition in around 40 countries.

IMMAF has advanced programmes for education and certification of coaches, referees and other technical officials as well as Youth Development.

With Olympian leaders coming from judo, IMMAF fully respects Olympic values.

IMMAF has hosted World and Continental Championship tournaments since 2014 (which have been broadcast globally).

IMMAF has a democratically elected board, 5 years of audited accounts, General Assemblies, and a robust anti-doping programme.

IMMAF governance is subject to independent audit by the Sport Integrity Global Alliance

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