The Round of 32 matchups across 14 categories offered a bright glimpse into the future of the sport.
Highlighted as one to watch on the opening day, Team Ukraine’s Milan Nikolenko delivered in style, advancing to the last 16 with a flawless victory over Team Austria’s Anas Hamdaoui via second-round armbar.
Another featherweight who impressed on Day 1 was Beka Shainidze. Representing the host nation of Georgia, he secured a strong TKO victory over Saudi Arabia’s Alridah Alnemer, setting up an intriguing next-round matchup with Samgat Shabdan of Kazakhstan.
Ireland’s Ben Mahon also turned heads with a stunning win over Bulgaria’s Polat Mehmed. His victory sets up a compelling clash against Germany’s Lars Hummel in the Junior Men’s Bantamweight division.
Team Kazakhstan’s Dimitry Yarkov produced one of the standout moments of the tournament so far. He overcame Slovakia’s Samuel Lehocky and continues his pursuit of a first world title, aiming to build on his 2024 campaign, where he claimed bronze.
Day 2 of the world’s premier amateur MMA competition is on the horizon, with Tbilisi standing as the capital of amateur MMA this week during what is the biggest IMMAF World Championships to date.
To watch all the action from the 2025 IMMAF World Championships, tune in live at IMMAF.tv.
