UAE athletes shine, Russia takes top honors as IMMAF Youth World Championships

ABU DHABI: Russia topped the overall standings as the seventh edition of the IMMAF Youth World Championships concluded on Sunday at Mubadala Arena in Abu Dhabi. Ukraine finished second, with Tajikistan taking third.

The UAE National Team also celebrated its best-ever performance at the Youth World Championships, winning 19 medals — six gold, six silver and seven bronze. The haul surpassed the UAE’s previous record of 13 medals, set in 2025.

Organized by the International Mixed Martial Arts Federation and hosted by the UAE Jiu-Jitsu and Mixed Martial Arts Federation for the fifth consecutive year, the championship featured seven days of competition and attracted more than 1,100 athletes from 55 countries. They  competed across four age categories in the largest edition of the championship to date.

The UAE’s medal haul underlined the progress of the national team’s youth program, which picked up four medals when it first appeared at the championships in 2022.

The final day also saw a special recognition shield presented to IMMAF president Kerrith Brown, as well as to several of the championship’s partners and officials from national federations for their contributions to the success of the event.

Mohammed Bin Dalmouj Al-Dhaheri, UAE Jiu-Jitsu and Mixed Martial Arts Federation board member, thanked Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan for his patronage of the event and said he appreciated the UAE’s leadership for the support it gave the country’s athletes and sports industries.

“We are proud of the success of the championship and the way Abu Dhabi welcomed athletes and teams from more than 55 countries,” said Al-Dhaheri. “We are especially proud of what our young UAE athletes have achieved. The increase in