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IMMAF 2026 Awards – The International Mixed Martial Arts Federation (IMMAF) has announced the nominees for its 2026 Athlete Awards, recognising some of the most impressive performers in amateur MMA over the past year.
The announcement, published on October 9, confirms nominees across six categories, including senior male and female athletes, junior male and female athletes, Newcomer of the Year, and the RDX Performance of the Year award.
The winners will be announced on November 5 during the 2026 IMMAF World Championships in Tbilisi, Georgia. The awards celebrate achievements at IMMAF world and continental championships, highlighting athletes who have distinguished themselves through championship victories and outstanding performances.
Gimbat Magomedov and Yerulan Kabdulov Among Senior Male Nominees
The IMMAF 2026 Awards for Senior Male Athlete of the Year category features several accomplished amateur fighters, including Tajikistan’s Isrofil Komilzoda, Kazakhstan’s Yerulan Kabdulov, Bahrain’s Gimbat Magomedov and Gadzhi Gadzhiev, and France’s Mehmet Borhan.
Komilzoda enters the nominations after winning the 2025 Flyweight World Championship. Kabdulov, meanwhile, retained his world title in 2025 and also earned a bronze medal at the Asian Championships.
Magomedov has continued to establish himself as one of the leading competitors in amateur MMA. The Bahraini fighter won the 2025 Super-Welterweight World Championship, retained his title and secured gold at the Asian Championships, becoming a three-time Asian champion.
Gadzhiev also enjoyed a successful period, winning the 2025 Super-Middleweight World Championship and Asian Championships gold. His achievements included becoming a three-time senior world champion and three-time Asian champion.
France’s Borhan completes the category after winning the 2025 Lightweight World Championship and gold at the 2026 European Championships.
Senior Female Category Features Five Championship Winners
The Senior Female Athlete of the Year category includes Finland’s Isla Fono, Lebanon’s Sylvie Samaha, Poland’s Małgorzata Popowicz, and England’s Katrina Fisher and Millie-Rae Vardy.
Fono won the Senior Lightweight World Championship in 2025 at just 20 years old, marking a significant achievement early in her competitive career.
Samaha claimed the 2025 Strawweight World Championship with three stoppage victories and subsequently earned silver at the Asian Championships.
Popowicz added another major achievement to her amateur résumé by winning the 2025 Flyweight World Championship before securing gold at the 2026 European Championships.
England also has two representatives in the category. Fisher won the 2025 Bantamweight World Championship and followed it with European gold in 2026, while Vardy earned the 2025 Super-Lightweight World Championship.
The nominations reflect the strength of the women’s amateur divisions, with athletes from Europe and Asia featuring prominently among the contenders.
Ibrohim Rahimzoda Leads Junior Male Nominees
Tajikistan’s Ibrohim Rahimzoda is among the nominees for Junior Male Athlete of the Year after winning and retaining the 2025 Lightweight World Championship.
Rahimzoda previously won the award in 2025, making him one of the most recognisable names in the junior amateur circuit. His continued success places him among the leading candidates for this year’s recognition.
Bahrain’s Arsen Suleimanov also features after winning the 2025 Junior Light-Heavyweight World Championship and Asian Championships gold.
France’s Fabian Glele earned his nomination following a junior world title in the Super-Welterweight division in 2025. He subsequently won Middleweight gold at the 2026 European Championships.
Angola’s Milfa Kuenda Nicolau is nominated after winning the 2025 Junior Super-Middleweight World Championship and gold at the 2026 African Championships.
Ukraine’s Ivan Poremchuk completes the category. He won the 2025 Junior Heavyweight World Championship, becoming a two-time world champion, before capturing the European Heavyweight Championship in 2026.
Mariia Klein Among Leading Junior Female Contenders
The Junior Female Athlete of the Year category features several fighters who have enjoyed considerable success at world and continental level.
Poland’s Julia Głaz is nominated after winning the 2025 Atomweight World Championship and earning bronze at the 2026 European Championships.
Ukraine’s Liubov Khmilevska also features after a successful transition from youth competition. She won silver at the 2025 Atomweight World Championships before securing European gold in 2026.
Fellow Ukrainian Mariia Klein enters the nominations following another outstanding period in amateur MMA. Klein won the 2025 Flyweight World Championship with four first-round submissions, becoming a two-time world champion.
She subsequently captured European gold in 2026, recording three first-round submissions on her way to the title. Those achievements also made her a two-time European champion, while extending her adult amateur record to 16-0.
Angola’s Maria Kitoko is nominated after winning and retaining the 2025 Junior Super-Lightweight World Championship.
Mongolia’s Altanchimeg Baigalmaa completes the category after winning the 2025 Junior Featherweight World Championship.
Newcomer of the Year Recognises Emerging Talent
The Newcomer of the Year award recognises athletes who have made a significant impression through their performances at IMMAF championships.
Fabian Glele features again after his 2025 Junior Super-Welterweight World Championship victory and 2026 European Middleweight gold.
Arsen Suleimanov is also nominated following his junior light-heavyweight world title and Asian Championships gold.
South Africa’s Charmaine Rabbolini earned recognition after winning the 2025 Senior Featherweight World Championship.
Spain’s Adriano Camillo is nominated after claiming silver at the 2025 Middleweight World Championships and bronze at the 2026 European Championships. IMMAF also highlighted his reputation as a standout knockout artist.
Tajikistan’s Nozimjon Uzoqov completes the category following his victory at the 2025 Junior Super-Heavyweight World Championship.
RDX Performance of the Year Highlights Five Memorable Finishes
The RDX Performance of the Year award will recognise one of five standout performances from recent IMMAF competition.
Ghana’s Daniel Wadieh earned a nomination for a head-kick knockout in the semi-finals of the 2026 African Championships.
Georgia’s Beka Shainidze was nominated for a buggy-choke submission during the round of 16 at the 2025 World Championships.
Angola’s Helder Manuel received recognition for a TKO victory in the final of the 2026 African Championships.
Ireland’s Eric Marku is nominated for an uppercut knockout in the quarter-finals of the 2026 European Championships.
Montenegro’s Canjo Rajkovic completes the category following a Suloev Stretch submission in the quarter-finals of the same European competition.
Unlike the other categories, the Performance of the Year winner will be determined entirely through a public vote.
When Will the 2026 IMMAF Athlete Awards Take Place?
The IMMAF 2026 Awards ceremony is scheduled for November 5 in Tbilisi, Georgia, during the 2026 IMMAF World Championships, which run from November 1 to November 7.
The winners will be decided through a weighted voting system combining the public vote, the IMMAF Board of Directors and the IMMAF Athletes Commission. The Performance of the Year category will be decided by public voting alone.
The awards provide an opportunity to recognise athletes who have excelled in amateur MMA before potentially progressing towards professional competition.
With nominees representing countries across Europe, Asia and Africa, this year’s list also highlights the increasingly international nature of the amateur MMA scene.
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