NEWS

Latest updates, announcements, and stories from the New Zealand Mixed Martial Arts Federation.

15 October 2026

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NZMMAF backs NZ First's push for athlete safety and proper governance

5 October 2026, Auckland

The New Zealand Mixed Martial Arts Federation (NZMMAF) welcomes New Zealand First's announcement that it will establish a statutory Combat Sports Commission, describing it as a positive first step towards modern, consistent regulation of combat sports in New Zealand.

NZMMAF has had discussions with NZ First during development of the initial framework and says athlete safety must be the first-priority of any commission.

The out-going Boxing and Wrestling Act 1981 covers only boxing and wrestling. It does not clearly regulate mixed martial arts, kickboxing or other combat sports, leaving athletes without consistent national safety standards. The coroner's findings into the death of Kain Parsons, who died in 2018 after a charity boxing bout in Christchurch, recommended a review of how combat sports are regulated, including whether a single central body is needed.

NZMMAF proposes that any commission be required to set and oversee the following minimum standards for all sanctioned events:

Pre-fight medical screening, including baseline neurological assessment
Ringside medical cover at every sanctioned event
Concussion protocols with mandatory minimum stand-down periods
Weight-cut limits and monitoring
A national competitor registry, so medical history follows athletes across events and promoters
Independent incident reporting and investigation

NZMMAF President Terry Hill has seen the consequences of gaps in safety oversight first-hand. "After the deaths linked to charity boxing events, families and the community were left waiting far too long for answers," said Terry Hill, President, NZMMAF. "A commission with proper medical requirements and disciplinary powers would mean one standard applies across every code, and that is what athletes deserve."

NZMMAF has begun initial consultation with key figures across the combat sports community and views this as the start of a broader conversation. Any legislation must be as workable for small martial arts gyms as for large commercial promoters. NZMMAF will work with NZ First, the Government and other parties in Parliament, as well as Sport New Zealand and industry participants, including athletes, clubs, promoters, coaches and medical practitioners, so the commission reflects the sport as it operates.

NZMMAF also wants the commission to establish clear athlete pathways, from community and amateur participation through to professional competition. Competition records and coach accreditation should sit within the same framework as the safety rules.

"Athletes need a clear route from their local gym to the professional ranks, with supervised experience along the way," said Mike Angove, Media Spokesman, NZMMAF. "A defined pathway is a safety measure in its own right. It means athletes progress at the right pace, with the right medical oversight, and aren't drawn into unregulated events."

"Our job now is to make sure the detail protects athletes, gives legitimate promoters a level playing field and includes the people who know the sport best," Angove added. "That work should be done across political party lines."

Ends.

Media contact:

Mike Angove, Media Spokesman, NZMMAF

Mobile: 021 608 904

Email: media@nzmmaf.co.nz

7 August 2026

NZMMAF developing national fighter database

In just the past two years, NZMMAF officials (referees, judges, inspectors, cut persons, timekeepers) have overseen at least 645 fights involving 1,119 fighters from 128 gyms across Aotearoa New Zealand. Those fighters included 261 professionals, 361 amateurs and 497 novices.

This work extends across hybrid fight nights featuring MMA alongside other combat codes, including Muay Thai and kickboxing. These events require officials to understand the differences between each code and apply the appropriate rules and standards to every bout.

Every fighter needs to trust that the referee will protect them from unnecessary harm and that the judges will assess their performance fairly. Credible events, consistent standards and well-trained officials are all important parts of an athlete’s development.

Developed and delivered by Head of Officials Neil Swailes, the NZMMAF National Officials Accreditation Framework aligns our education with internationally recognised standards from the Association of Boxing Commissions and Combative Sports. Our network includes accredited officials across multiple roles, alongside those shadowing experienced officials and working towards accreditation.

We are also developing FIGHT TRACK, a national database that records fight histories, determines national rankings, monitors medical suspensions and maintains a central calendar of combat-sports events.

If you compete, coach, officiate, promote or otherwise participate in combat sports in Aotearoa New Zealand, we invite you to register for FIGHT TRACK. Better information helps all of us make better decisions for our fighters and build a safer, better-connected combat-sports community.

1 July 2026

Statement

The New Zealand Mixed Martial Arts Federation is aware of claims made publicly about the use of federation funding. We want to be clear on one point immediately: NZMMAF does not receive Sport NZ funding and is not under Sport NZ investigation. That claim is false. Our relationship with Sport NZ is one of recognition and support, not of funding. We continue to work productively with our Sport NZ Partnership Manager on the development of Mixed Martial Arts in New Zealand.

We are accountable for how federation funds are spent. That accountability runs through our members and our funders - not through public claims made by a non-member. Our full financial records are available to the public, and all TAB NZ funding received by the Federation has been fully acquitted to the funder in accordance with grant requirements.

We remain committed to strengthened governance and funding processes and providing full and factual answers to any questions about expenditure from our members, through the appropriate forum. A documented breakdown will be available for request by members in line with our transparency requirements.

10 December 2025

NZMMAF Delivers Oral Submissions on the Boxing and Wrestling Act 1981

NZMMAF has presented oral submissions before a Select Committee on proposed amendments to the Boxing and Wrestling Act 1981, contributing to the ongoing review of combat sports regulation in New Zealand.

Read the written submissions: Read here

View the oral submissions: Watch here

15 November 2025

New Zealand Representative Team to UWW World Champs

NZMMAF sent a team to the inaugural UWW Youth & Junior World Championships in Loutraki, Greece, marking New Zealand’s return to UWW international competition. Seven athletes represented Aotearoa across Pankration and Amateur MMA divisions, delivering strong results on the world stage:

Gold Medalists
Lily Houben (CORE MMA) – U20 Amateur MMA - 1-0 (sub)
Eddy Samau (Shinobi Academy/CKB) – U15 Pankration - 3-0 (one medical TKO, one sub, one decision)

Bronze Medalists
Isaac McLaughlin (Hammerhead MMA Dunedin) – U17 Pankration
Tyson Kaivelata (CORE MMA) – U17 Pankration
Shyla Mulholland (Hammerhead MMA Central Otago) – U17 Pankration

Quarter Finalist:
Jacob Cox (Xtreme MMA Pukekohe) – U17 Pankration

The tournament followed a similar structure to other international amateur championships and provided valuable experience for athletes competing under evolving UWW MMA rulesets. Team New Zealand’s wins came via two submissions, one TKO, and three Decisions.

NZMMAF acknowledges and thanks Carlo Meister (Tournament Head Coach) of CORE MMA and Marcus Mulholland for their leadership and support in getting the team to Greece, along with the wider coaching and parent support group who helped make this campaign possible.

5 November 2025

NZMMAF joins United World Wrestling - and makes history in Greece

The New Zealand Mixed Martial Arts Federation (NZMMAF) is proud to officially announce its new affiliation with United World Wrestling (UWW) - and to mark the milestone by sending New Zealand’s first-ever U20 amateur MMA team to compete at the UWW Pankration and Amateur MMA World Championships in Loutraki, Greece.

The event, hosted by UWW from 5-9 November 2025, brings together U15, U17, and U20 athletes from around the world. It follows UWW’s first-ever senior Amateur MMA World Championships held in Novi Sad, Serbia in October - the first time the organisation has formally hosted amateur MMA competition at the world level.

Last year, UWW voted to bring amateur MMA under its umbrella, creating a unified international structure for the sport alongside wrestling and Pankration — the former being an Olympic discipline. This partnership connects New Zealand’s MMA community to a recognised global pathway and aligns with the sport’s long-term vision of seeing mixed martial arts included in the Olympic movement.

The New Zealand U20 team is currently in Greece, proudly representing Aotearoa on the world stage. This year serves as an exhibition year, allowing athletes and coaches to gain experience under UWW competition before NZMMAF launches a full national selection process in 2026.

“It’s an exciting moment for MMA in New Zealand,” said Terry Hill, NZMMAF President. “To have our first team competing in Greece, where the Olympics began, under the UWW banner - that’s huge. This partnership gives our athletes a recognised pathway and helps put New Zealand amateur MMA back on the global map.” NZMMAF remains focused on building safe, structured pathways for fighters, coaches, and officials - from grassroots to world level - and strengthening the integrity and development of combat sports in Aotearoa New Zealand.