IMMAF allows young Russian MMA fighters to compete under national flag

MOSCOW, May 5. /TASS/. The Executive Committee of the International Mixed Martial Arts Federation (IMMAF) has allowed Russian athletes to participate in international youth tournaments under the national flag and to the tune of the country’s anthem, Russian Sports Minister and President of the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) Mikhail Degtyarev said on Tuesday.

The IMMAF has also reinstated the membership status of the Russian MMA Union.

"The IMMAF Executive Committee has decided to reinstate the membership of the Russian MMA Union, and also allowed Russian juniors to participate in international competitions with the national flag and anthem," Degtyarev wrote on his Telegram channel. "This is the first step towards the full-fledged return of our mixed martial arts fighters to the world arena. Previously, our judokas and sambo wrestlers were granted full admission."

"The winners of the Russian Championship in the 12-17 age category, which was recently held in Alushta, will be able to take part in IMMAF supervised international tournaments this year already," Degtyarev continued.

"I want to thank the team of the recently elected President of the Russian MMA Union, Sergey Fateyev, for the successful promotion of Russian athletes in the international arena," he added.

In March 2022, IMMAF decided to suspend the membership of the MMA federations from Russia and Belarus in the organization over the developments in Ukraine.

In December 2025, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Executive Committee issued recommendations that allowed athletes in international federations from Russia and Belarus to participate in youth disciplines under the national flags and anthems. This recommendation applied to both individual and team sports. Numerous international sports federations followed the proposal.