Vietnam joins founding members of Southeast Asian MMA Federation
VOV.VN - Representatives of the Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) federations of Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines and Singapore met in Bangkok on December 12 to agree on key matters related to the establishment and operation of the Southeast Asian Mixed Martial Arts Federation (SEAMMA).
Under a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed by the six national MMA bodies, SEAMMA will serve as the official regional organization representing Southeast Asian MMA, tasked with shaping the sport’s development across the region, in Asia, and on the global stage.
The MOU states that the six parties recognize the rapid growth and potential of MMA in Southeast Asia; share a common vision for standardizing, developing and promoting the sport under a unified regional governance structure; and seek to formally collaborate to establish SEAMMA.
Based on this principle, the founding members agreed on several core objectives: formally establishing and registering SEAMMA; creating a unified rulebook for both amateur and professional MMA events in the region; advocating for MMA to become a medal sport at the SEA Games; and strengthening athlete safety, fair play and compliance with international anti-doping standards.
The founding members will also form a provisional steering board to draft SEAMMA’s charter and regulations, coordinate the first SEAMMA Championship to demonstrate regional unity, and work with their respective National Olympic Committees or sports authorities to obtain official recognition for the federation.
This is welcome news, demonstrating Vietnamese MMA’s proactive and committed role in standardizing the sport both regionally and internationally. SEAMMA’s establishment is also expected to help push MMA toward more frequent inclusion in future SEA Games. Notably, Malaysia,one of SEAMMA’s six founding members, will host SEA Games 34 in 2027.
Following MMA’s appearance as a demonstration sport at SEA Games 33 and its inclusion as a medal event at the 20th Asian Games in Japan in 2026, the region is expected to stage its inaugural official Southeast Asian MMA Championship next year.
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