By Press Release

The International Mixed Martial Arts Federation (IMMAF) and World Mixed Martial Arts Association (WMMAA) proudly hosted their second Amateur MMA Awards on Thursday night (November 14) in Manama, Bahrain at the Wyndham Grand.

The annual ceremony took place following the Junior finals and Senior Semi-Finals of the IMMAF | WMMAA Unified World Championships. Senior Finals are set to take place on Saturday, November 16.

With a full house of IMMAF | WMMAA leaders, international members, athletes, staff and special guests, the prestigious black-tie occasion celebrated the achievements of athletes, teams and individuals over the past year who contributed to furthering the development of amateur MMA.

See below for a recap of category nominees and winners:

Block A – Member Vote
Voted on by IMMAF-WMMAA members in attendance at the 2018 World Championships during registration. Each nation had 1 vote.

Senior Female Athlete of the Year
• Nina Back (Sweden)
2018 World Championships: silver
2019 European Open: silver

• Alish Smith (Australia)
2019 Oceania Open: gold
2019 Asian Open: gold

• Gase Sanita (New Zealand) – WINNER
2018 World Championships: gold

• Alexandra Kovacs (Hungary)
2018 World Championships: gold

Senior Male Athlete of the Year
• Sola Axel (France) – WINNER
2018 World Championships: Silver
2019 Africa Open: silver
2019 Pan American Open: gold
2019 Oceania Open: gold
2019 European Open: gold

• Pasha Kharkhachaev (Bahrain)
2018 World Championships: gold
2019 Asian Open: gold
2019 European Open: gold

• Bagdat Zhubanysh (Kazakhstan)
2018 World Championships: gold
2019 Asian Open: gold

• Lee Hammond (Ireland)
2018 World Championships: gold

• Delyan Georgiev (Bulgaria)
2018 World Championships: gold
2019 European Open: bronze

Junior Athlete of the Year
• Muhammad Mokaev (UK)
2018 World Championships: gold
2019 European Open: gold

• Shamsutdin Makhmudov (Russia) – WINNER
2018 World Championships: gold
2019 European Open: gold

• Reo Yamaguchi (Japan)
2018 World Championships: silver
2019 European Open: silver

• Megan Morris (UK)
2018 World Championships: gold

• Mahboob Khan Mohammed (India)
2018 World Championships: gold

National Team of the Year
• Bahrain – WINNER
• Russia
• Kazakhstan
• Ukraine
• Ireland

Block B – IMMAF / IMMAF Partner Awards
Elected by IMMAF committees or partners (where marked)

Official of the Year: Derek Hickey (Ireland)
Cutperson of the Year: Bob Plant (UK)
Host Federation of the Year: FIGMMA (Italy)
Most Proactive Federation in Coach Education and Training: IMMAFA (Australia)
Most Proactive Federation in Implementing the “Technical Progression Scheme”: CMMAF (Cyprus)
MyNextMatch Award of Excellence (elected by MyNextMatch): KAZMMA (Kazakhstan)
Block C – Public vote via Social Media

Green Hill Performance of the Year (for best performance in a single bout): Salamat Isbulaev (Russia)
SafeJawz Golden Mouthguard Award for special commitment to the sport of MMA and embodiment of its core values: Ezekiel Wetere (New Zealand)