The International Mixed Martial Arts Federation has welcome the Trinidad and Tobago Mixed Martial Arts Federation (TNT-MMAF) as its first Caribbean member, under the local auspices of the Trinidad and Tobago Combat Sport Association.

The Trinidad and Tobago Combat Sport Association (TTCSA) was created in 2011 as an umbrella organization for the development of all combat sports in Trinidad and Tobago and is registered with its national Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs.

The organization’s formation was driven by the fact local athletes typically cross train and compete across a variety of combat sports that include Sambo, Olympic Wrestling, Grappling and MMA. Each of these disciplines is governed by its own national federation which falls directly under the TTCSA, as well as their sports’ respective world governing bodies.

To date the TTCSA has successfully worked to register both the Trinidad and Tobago Sambo and Combat Sambo Federation and the Trinidad and Tobago Wrestling Federation with its Ministry of Sport and Youth affairs and Ministry of Legal Affairs, as well as with the International Sambo Federation and United World Wrestling respectively. The group is now in the process of gaining the recognition for both sports with the Trinidad and Tobago Olympic Committee.

The TTCSA has entered athletes into four world championships, four Pan American championships, one Commonwealth championships and also two President’s Cup events, as well as hosting Pan American championship events on home soil. The TNT-MMAF will be sending a team to represent Trinidad and Tobago at an IMMAF event for the very first time this summer at the 2016 IMMAF World Championships at UFC International Fight Week in Las Vegas.

“The Trinidad and Tobago Mixed Martial Arts Federation feels honoured to be recognised as a part of the IMMAF family, which is the leading organization in the world and best vehicle for our athletes to use in representing Trinidad and Tobago internationally,” said Trinidad and Tobago Mixed Martial Arts Federation President Jason Fraser.

“The affiliation will be very inspirational to the Trinidad and Tobago Mixed Martial Arts Federation and our athletes, as we have already identified that the IMMAF is changing the perception of and breaking barriers to MMA as a sport.

“We are looking forward to Trinidad and Tobago becoming a hub that will bring together all the countries of the Caribbean as we work towards developing and unifying the sport for the benefit of its athletes and, one day, gaining Olympic recognition.

“As president, I can assure you that as we become the newest member of the International Mixed Martial Arts Federation family, I am committed to astute leadership that will support my team in delivering ongoing value to the IMMAF, as both organizations grow from strength to strength. Let me state categorically that Trinidad and Tobago is prepared to take up the mantle to partner with the IMMAF in developing the sport in this part of the Caribbean and the world by extension.

“We believe that the International Mixed Martial Arts Federation vision for the development of the sport is extraordinary and we are happy to be a part of the IMMAF family. In having the privilege to meet with executive members at the IMMAF European Open Championships in November in Birmingham (UK), we realized that we all share the same passion for the sport.”

In addition to breaking ground in the Caribbean, the IMMAF also announce that a Thai Mixed Martial Arts Federation (TMMAF) has been newly formed in affiliation with IMMAF.

“Thailand boasts a rich combat sports history and we are excited to embrace the Thai Mixed Martial Arts Federation as a member,” added IMMAF Presient Kerrith Brown. “Part of IMMAF’s work is not only to work with existing national governing bodies for MMA, but also to support their development in regions where a formal structure is still being put in place.

“The establishment of the TMMAF has grown out of committed work by the IMMAF administration team and we are fortunate to have earned the support of key players in Thai MMA. We look forward to welcoming the first Thai team to showcase its skills on the IMMAF championships platform next year.”

An interim working committee has been established to form the non-profit, democratic organisation by Kingdom Co. Ltd, the sole MMA promotion company in Thailand which operates commercially as Full Metal Dojo.

The interim board will initially be appointed internally from among stakeholders who have been instrumental in the development of MMA in Thailand. Once the federation has been successfully established, the TMMAF commits to holding its first general assembly within 2 years, at which new board representatives will be democratically elected by its membership – formed of clubs, gyms and associations.

The TMMAF will also be working to establish a number of technical sub-committees, tasked with the development of best practice and sport regulation, to include the sanctioning of professional and amateur MMA events. The formation committees will be headed by the following persons:

The TMMAF plans its first amateur MMA competitions in Thailand for 2016.

“We at Full Metal Dojo are very excited that Thailand is now a member of the IMMAF family,” said Vice President of the Thai Mixed Martial Arts Federation Jon Nutt. Being able to represent Thailand at IMMAF championship events is a great prize for the competitors of our amateur show ‘Made in Thailand’ premiering later this year. We are convinced that Thai fighters will win the audience over with their skills and fighting heart once they are let loose on a world stage.”