The Federal Government has approved the recognition of Mixed Martial Arts (NMMAF), as one of the National Sports Federations under the control and supervision of the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development.
The Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Sunday Dare said that the approval which was granted on January 11, following series of interfaces between the federation’s board and the ministry, “having satisfied the condition precedent, pursuant to NMMAF’s acceptance to abide with the Code of Governance of all National Sports.”
in a statement issued by the Director (Press & Public Relations), Mohammed Manga, the minister stated that “the recognition has also saddled the federation with the responsibility to develop, regulate and ensure the safety of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) as a thriving sports in Nigeria in line with global best practices.”
Dare, however, called on the federation to work towards discovering and developing talents from the grassroots, while urging them to take the game to a world class status not only through the development and maintenance of strict rules but also adhering strictly to its standards.
MMA is reputed to be one of the world’s fastest growing sports with over 449m followers worldwide.