Winners of 2019 Amateur MMA Awards recognized at Wyndham Grand in Manama, Bahrain

The International Mixed Martial Arts Federation (IMMAF) and World Mixed Martial Arts Association (WMMAA) hosted their second Amateur MMA Awards on November 14, 2019 at the Wyndham Grand in Manama, Bahrain. The annual ceremony took place following the junior finals and senior semifinals of the IMMAF-WMMAA Unified World Championships while the senior finals are set to take place on November 16, 2019.

New 2019 Junior World Champion Anna Gaul of Germany attended the ceremony with German MMA Federation representatives. Also present were Sola Axel of France, IMMAF CEO Densign White and Ahmad Al Wazzan from the Bahrain MMA Federation.

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. Here are the 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 HillPerformance of the Year (for best performance in a single bout): Salamat Isbulaev (Russia)
• SafeJawzGolden Mouthguard Award for special commitment to the sport of MMA and embodiment of its core values: Ezekiel Wetere (New Zealand)

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