Mixed martial arts 

BANGKOK — Representatives from Vietnam and five other ASEAN member states convened on December 11 to finalise key matters concerning the operation of the newly formed Southeast Asia Mixed Martial Arts Association (SEAMMAA), on the sidelines of the ongoing 33rd Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Thailand.

According to the Vietnam Mixed Martial Arts Federation (VMMAF), the other founding members include Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines and Singapore.

Tống Ngọc Hoa, deputy general secretary of VMMAF and head of the Vietnamese MMA delegation at SEA Games 33, noted that the establishment of SEAMMAA marks an important step towards ensuring MMA becomes an official sport at future SEA Games. Notably, Malaysia – one of the six founding members – will host SEA Games 34 in 2027.

Following a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the representatives, SEAMMAA will be the official representative organisation for regional MMA in activities aimed at developing the martial art in member countries, Asia and the world, said Việt Nam MMA Federation President Ngô Đức Quỳnh.

The establishment was based on the rapid growth and potential of MMA in Southeast Asia, a common vision for standardising, developing and promoting MMA under the unified management of a regional organisation, and a desire to formally cooperate to establish SEAMMAA.

The parties agreed on several core objectives, including the formal establishment and registration of SEAMMAA; the development of unified rules for both amateur and professional MMA competitions within the region; advocacy for MMA to become an official medal sport at future SEA Games; the promotion of athlete safety, fair play, and full compliance with international anti-doping standards.

Other issues were also discussed at the meeting, where the co-founding members agreed to develop the official SEAMMAA rules and regulations, coordinate to organise the first SEAMMAA Championships and work with their National Olympic Committee or national sports authority to obtain official recognition for the association.

According to the Việt Nam MMA Federation, this was good news for the MMA community and showed the proactive and positive role of Việt Nam in standardising regional and international MMA practices.

MMA is a demonstration sport at the 33rd SEA Games and will be officially part of the 20th Asian Games in 2026 in Japan.

The first regional MMA championship is scheduled for 2026. — VNS