A golden age for MMA in Vietnam
The future of mixed martial arts- MMA- in Vietnam looks brighter than ever in these somewhat bleak 2020s. We expect to see big changes in the Mixed Martial Arts environment in Vietnam. Whereas previously there was only a passing interest in MMA in Vietnam, it has been gradually been increasing throughout the decades up to this present time. It has been decided that Vietnam deserves to have its own MMA federation in order to train a new generation of Vietnamese MMA fighters dedicated not only to further advance and boost national popularity on this sport, but to also further boost its popularity.
This 20 January 2020 we bore witness to the founding of Vietnam’s first ever MMA national federation: The Vietnam Mixed Martial Arts Federation – VMMAF for short. This ground-breaking federation in Vietnamese sports history held its first administrative session in May 30 2020 in Hanoi. Their main task was in electing a 21-member commission board with Ngo Duc Quynh, President of the East Sea Shipping Services Limited Company as its first chairman, three vice-chairman and a general secretary. This elected board is expected to last for the 2020-2025 tenure.
The VMMAF’s first order of business was to reaffirm their stance and commitment to make use of all resources available, both national and international, to boost the practice of MMA in Vietnam. Furthermore, they also intend to further up Vietnam’s international ranking position in both MMA and martial arts. To accomplish this, this first VMMAF tenure intends to focus on building of effective operation mechanisms, developing human resources and organising national and international competitions starring upcoming Vietnamese MMA fighters.
Amongst their more direct measures, the VMMAF intends to extend the popularity span of MMA by opening new MMA training centres across Vietnam, popularize MMA across certain localities through expositions and conferences and sending some of Vietnam’s most elite fighter into international tournaments for further exposure of Vietnam in the international competitive sphere.
Currently there are 50 MMA clubs and over 5000 participants spread across the country, with certain recognised and well-renowned clubs such as Dragon MMA in Hanoi and Saigon Sports Club.
Even though this truly is a wonderful first step for Vietnam to further enter into the world of competitive martial arts, Vietnam has already shown the world the mettle and overall potential of its fighters in competitive sports and martial arts. For a clear example of this, we need look no further than in 2019 when Vietnamese boxers Tran Van Thao and Nguyen Thi Thu Nhi won against their respective opponents at the WBO Oriental Youth Title Match in Ho Chi MInh. Tran Van Thao was regarded as the ultimate underdog in his match against Filipino champion Ponciana Remandiman, ranked 74th best in the World Boxing Organization. Few would have expected Tran Van Thao to win 3-0 against such a well-renowned opponent and yet he managed to in a breath-taking display of skill and power. Not only that, Nguyen Thi Thu Nhi has also set a precedent in Vietnamese woman boxing by not only knocking out her opponent, Thai boxer Kannika Bangnara, but also beating three-time world champion Gretchen Abaniel in 2018.
This victory not only brought some well-deserved prestige to the Vietnamese boxing scene in front of the international community but perhaps some betting earnings for those brave enough to bet on Tran Van Thao. Sports betting is always popular in Vietnam and with the VMMAF looking to expand MMA and other martial arts across Vietnam, a new scene for lucrative possibilities for sports betting is looking brighter than ever. New upcoming champions in the Vietnamese MMA field and other sports bring new online sports betting, known as cá cược thể thao trực tuyến. There are many other sports fields beside MMA for you to bet on. Baseball, horse races and volleyball are some of the sports more followed on the country. Also, football is another sport. Although Vietnam might have failed to qualify for this 2022 Qatar World Cup, there are many others teams for you to show your support and bet on. The bet is easy to make: bettors just need to create an account, open the payment account and deposit to start betting.
With the formation of the VMMAF, it is only a matter of time until elite Vietnamese fighters manage to enter the spotlight and show the world what they are capable of. Why Vietnam, a country filled up to the brink with fine sportsmen with untapped potential, has remained anonymous for so long is unknown. Hopefully, with new organizations popping out like the VMMAF encouraging and training new talents, perhaps this anonymity will not remain for long.
