South Africa's MMA championship set to showcase top talent in Durban
MMA SA amateur athletes at a tournament this year
Image: MMASA
South Africa's top mixed martial arts athletes will be competing for the title of SA champion at the national event taking place in Durban.
Mixed Martial Arts South Africa (MMASA) is hosting the youth, junior and senior national championship from Friday June 13 to 15 at the DLI Hall in Greyville.
Mixed martial arts (MMA) is a full-contact fighting sport based on striking and grappling. It incorporates techniques from various combat sports from around the world, including boxing, wrestling, Jiu-Jitsu and karate.
Preggy Valuyathum, president of MMASA, said they were looking forward to hosting about 150 participants, aged between 10 and 35, from across the country.
Valuyathum said the three-day competition brings together youth and amateur fighters from across the country to compete, learn, and grow in a supportive, high-standard environment.
"The MMASA nationals is designed specifically to promote amateur athletes and youth development in MMA, providing a safe and structured platform for emerging talent to showcase their skills and passion.
“Our priority is to nurture and empower young and amateur fighters through quality competition and development opportunities,” said Valuyathum.
Winners in various weight and age categories at the MMASA nationals will earn the opportunity to represent South Africa at upcoming international IMMAF events, including IMMAF Youth World Championships in the UAE in July and the IMMAF Senior World Championships in Georgia in September.
"This provides a valuable platform for South African athletes to compete on the global stage and gain international exposure," he said.
He said martial arts is one of the fastest-growing sport in the world. It is a very safe and controlled sport.
"MMA is perceived as a brutal sport, but its not the case. It is technical, but has a lot of safety measures," said Valuyathum.
He said MMA was good for self-defence and discipline.Valuyathum is encouraging locals to attend and support the athletes at the event.
Tickets are available at the door at R100 per person.