MMA – THREE of Bahrain’s reigning mixed martial arts (MMA) world champions have been shortlisted for the prestigious 2026 International MMA Federation (IMMAF) Athlete Awards.
Gimbat Magomedov, Gadzhi Gadzhiev, and Arsen Suleimanov are all candidates to come away with top individual honours.
The IMMAF Athlete Awards celebrate standout performers from the past year of competition, honouring excellence across senior, junior, and newcomer categories. Up to five nominees are selected according to championship accolades achieved at the specified level from the past year’s world championships and subsequent continental events
Winners are decided by a weighted vote, combining the public vote, IMMAF board of directors vote, and IMMAF Athletes Commission vote. They will be announced next month on the sidelines of this year’s IMMAF World Championships in Tbilisi, Georgia, from November 1 to 7.
Magomedov and Gadzhiev are both in contention for the Senior Male Athlete of the Year honour.
Both are reigning three-time IMMAF world champions, with Magomedov last claiming the world title in the senior men’s super welterweight 79.4kg category and Gadzhiev taking his crown in the senior men’s super middleweight 88.4kg division.
Other athletes in the running are Isrofil Komilzoda of Tajikistan, Yerulan Kabdulov of Kazakhstan, and Mehmet Borhan of France.
Suleimanov, meanwhile, is up for two 2026 IMMAF Athlete Awards, including Junior Male Athlete of the Year and Newcomer of the Year.
Suleimanov is the world champion in the junior men’s light heavyweight 93kg – his maiden world crown under the IMMAF.
Other candidates for the Junior Male Athlete of the Year distinction are Ibrohim Rahimzoda from Tajikistan, Fabian Glele from France, Milfa Kuenda Nicolau of Angola, and Ivan Poremchuk from Ukraine; while also with Newcomer of the Year hopes are Glele, Charmaine Rabbolini of South Africa, Adriano Camillo from Spain, and Nozimjon Uzoqov from Tajikistan.
Fans can vote for their picks via the link available at the IMMAF’s Instagram page @immafed.
patrick@gdnmedia.bh
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