Luanda — The International Mixed Martial Arts Federation (IMMAF) on Monday expressed confidence on the preparedness of Angola to host the World Championship, scheduled to take place from September 27 to October 2 in Luanda.

The assessment was made by the IMMAF director for Africa, Raymond Phillips, at the end of an audience granted by the Minister of Youth and Sports, Rui Falcão, as part of the international delegation's institutional visit to the country, which began on Sunday. He mentioned that the competition will be called "IMMAF World Cup - Dipanda 2026".

According to Raymond Phillips, the technical mission aimed to verify the conditions of the sports, hotel and logistics infrastructure intended for the organization of the competition, concluding that Angola meets the requirements demanded by the international federation.

"This is the 4th trip by the IMMAF to the country, and it demonstrates the organization's confidence in Angola's capacity to host international events of the sport," he said.

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He added that the main focus of the preparatory phase is now on the logistics of transporting the delegations, as well as the coordination between the airport, hotels and competition venues, considering that, in terms of infrastructure and accommodation, the country meets the established standards.

Raymond Phillips also recalled that Angola has been officially part of IMMAF since 2022, a condition that allows the country to apply to host international competitions in the sport.

In turn, the Minister of Youth and Sports, Rui Falcão, stated that the Executive has been working for several months with IMMAF and the Angolan Federation of Mixed Martial Arts (FAMMA) in preparation for the World event.

He mentioned that the technical mission's visit served to reconfirm the technical and logistical conditions necessary for holding the event, emphasizing that the work is proceeding normally.

Rui Falcão reiterated that Angola has some of the best sports infrastructure on the African continent, guaranteeing that the country has the conditions to host the competition with dignity, as it always has.

The IMMAF delegation's visit is part of the preparations for the competition, which is expected to bring together athletes from various countries and will be the first edition of a World Championship in this sport held in Africa.

To date, 35 countries have confirmed their participation, 16 from the African continent and 19 from Euro-Asia.

In Africa, in addition to Angola as host, the following countries have confirmed their participation: DRC, Congo, South Africa, Namibia, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Nigeria, Ghana, Côte d'Ivoire, Botswana, Tunisia, and Egypt.

In the Euro-Asia region, the following countries are registered: Portugal, Brazil, Denmark, Serbia, Bulgaria, Russia, Israel, Poland, Germany, Belgium, Spain, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, England, Ukraine, France, Pakistan, and Russia. BSV/WR/DOJ