Asian amateur MMA gets spotlight with 'Manila Open'

MANILA, Philippines — Amateur mixed martial arts action (MMA) received a huge boost Monday night after Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) president Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino vowed to help nurture the sport with its impending debut in the Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games (AIMAG) next year in Saudi Arabia.

Tolentino heads the newly established Nasyonal Mixed Martial Arts Pederasyon ng Pilipinas (NMMAPP) — the top governing body for amateur MMA in the country — which organized the inaugural Asian Mixed Martial Arts Manila Open, a three-day competition that started Monday and ends Wednesday at the Grand Ballroom of Marriott Manila.

A total of 88 fighters from 16 Asian countries— including the Philippines, Thailand, India, China, Mongolia, Hong Kong and Kazakhstan — will compete in 11 weight classes in the event.

“We are very thankful to your overall support and we will make sure that this amateur sport will be the safest,” said Tolentino during his address in the event’s opening ceremony. “We’re happy that MMA is in the program of the 2025 AIMAG in Saudi Arabia.”

Tolentino thanked Gordon Tang, Asian Mixed Martial Arts (AMMA) president and Olympic Council of Asia vice president, of Cambodia for choosing the Philippines as the inaugural venue of the open.

With Tolentino and Tang on opening night were VIP Director of 9 Dynasty Group Derries Wong, pro fighter Kazuhiro Sakamoto, AMMA sports committee chairman Wang Zuankan, Jiang Longyun, Okada Shie and NMMAPP secretary-general Alvin Aguilar

Competition will be in the men’s traditional 60, 65, 71, 85 and 120 kgs and modern 56, 65, 77 and 96 kgs and women’s traditional 60 kgs  and women’s 54 kgs.

Gold medalists will each receive $8,000, silver winners $4,000 and bronze finishers $2,000.