The international MMA landscape has evolved in recent days with the FIMMA training in AthensThe organization showcased its Olympic ambitions, presented high-profile supporters like Spyros Capralos, and announced a partnership with the International Olympic Academy. The IMMAF, the international federation founded in 2012, was less than thrilled with this dramatic entrance. Bertrand Amoussou, a member of the board and head of the European division of IMMAF, wanted to speak out.
How do you react to the formation of FIMMA?
You can't just show up and say you're creating an international federation and that you'll be at the Olympics. There are steps, protocols. I have the impression they're reinventing the sport: MMA is practiced in a closed arena, which was actually one of our battles when we campaigned for the legalization of MMA in France. It's not done on a mat or in a boxing ring, but in a cage or a closed ring because it's a striking and grappling sport.
When MMA is practiced without a cage, as at the Asian Youth Games this year, is it not MMA?
No, it's not MMA. It's an attempt to appropriate a successful discipline. You can participate in the Asian Games, have an agreement with the organizers, but that doesn't mean the IOC recognizes you. Even we don't say we'll be at the Olympics in 2032 because that wouldn't mean anything. There's a whole protocol. The important thing is to work on developing MMA among young people, growing the sport, passing on values, having qualified coaches, and so on. And then, if the possibility of becoming an Olympic sport arises, it will happen naturally. But we can't put the cart before the horse.
Had you heard about this project?
Of course, MMA is a community where everyone knows each other. IMMAF has existed since 2012, and we've been organizing championships since 2014. This year, we held a Cadet World Championship with over 1.200 athletes and more than 60 federations. Last week, we had 300 athletes at the Pan American Championship in Mexico. We have over ten years of experience and more than 150 countries registered with the international federation. There's nothing left to prove. IMMAF is the only federation with real influence in the MMA world. We also adhere to the WADA Code of Conduct—a rather lengthy process, the first step toward being validated by international bodies like SportAccord. There are processes involved. You can't just show up and say you represent the world of MMA, reinvent the rules, and declare you'll be at the Olympic Games. It doesn't make sense; it doesn't work that way.
So when FIMMA announces its goal of being at the Olympic Games, that's just PR?
It's just PR, yes, because it doesn't have any real meaning. There are so many steps involved… To claim otherwise shows a lack of understanding of the system. Announcing that you want to be at the Olympics without having gone through all those steps muddles the message.
The FIMMA family photo, in Athens.
FIMMA says it is responding to a demand from many athletes and federations. This may mean that some are not satisfied with what IMMAF is proposing.
You'll always find some people who are unhappy, for all sorts of reasons. That's not the point. We're the federation with the most extensive experience; we've been around since 2012. Today, our track record speaks for itself in building the sport at the amateur level. There are some who are unhappy, of course, but there are far more who are happy! We're trying to move forward, do things properly, and bring something to everyone.
You say that FIMMA has no influence in the world of MMA. However, the presence of certain NOC presidents and the president of the European Olympic Committees, Spyros Capralos, shows that it does have influence within the Olympic Movement.
I'm not saying they don't have the right to exist, but to become an international federation, there's a process before reaching the Olympic Games. It's possible that some people have connections with others. MMA doesn't belong to anyone. However, the fact that federations keep being created isn't very reassuring; there's no stability. Some people were with us, then with GAMMA, and now with FIMMA… Ideally, everyone would come together, but that's not possible. It's politics; there are always people who want to create their own thing. Someone who truly wants to develop the sport should go where they have the best chance of realizing its potential. That's not FIMMA, nor GAMMA, it's IMMAF. If we want to move forward, we need stability. If you believe in a structure, you try to develop it while ignoring ego battles.
