The Kingdom of Bahrain continues to dominate combat sports in Asia as the International Mixed Martial Arts Federation (IMMAF) rankings reveal KHK MMA fighters among the list of top 100 amateur mixed martial artists in the world. Hussain Abdulla, Abdulmanap Magomedov, Fahad Abdulrazaq and Abbas Khan made it to the rankings of top 100 amateur MMA fighters in the world. The latest developments spearheaded by KHK MMA have boosted the chances of Bahrain as a leading competitor in the upcoming IMMAF World Championships of Amateur MMA to be held at Bahrain during November.
The IMMAF is the international democratic governing body for the sport of MMA consisting of above 60 member nations. Bahrain was able to add three more athletes to the list compared to the previous year. Initiatives implemented under the leadership of His Highness Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa through Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa Mixed Martial Arts (KHK MMA) has gained global attention for Bahrain as the hub for combat sports.
In 2017, KHK MMA fighters representing the Bahrain National Team secured gold and three bronze medals at the IMMAF Asian Open Championships in Singapore. Hussain Abdulla, Nayef Fikri and Abbas Khan had won bronze medals in their respective categories while Abdulmanap Magomedov has secured the gold medal.
The International Mixed Martial Arts Federation (IMMAF) has announced that the Kingdom of Bahrain will host the fourth edition of the IMMAF World Championships of Amateur MMA during the Brave Combat Week, in November 2017. Bahrain will be the only nation other than the United States of America to host the World Championships of Amateur MMA.