The aspiration to reach international level of Vietnamese mixed martial arts

In less than 10 years, mixed martial arts (MMA) in Vietnam has transformed dramatically from a spontaneous and unnoticed movement into a well-organized sport, bringing about impressive international achievements.

Lion Championship MMA is the first professional tournament in Vietnam dedicated to mixed martial arts (MMA).

But what Vietnamese MMA has achieved is just the beginning. The development strategy of this sport needs to be adjusted, focusing on the core to reach out to the world .

The establishment of the Vietnam Mixed Martial Arts Federation (VMMAF) in 2020 was an important turning point. Since then, national and youth MMA tournaments have been held regularly, contributing to discovering a new generation of martial artists who are committed to the top sport .

Strong Starts

Lion Championship MMA is the first professional tournament in Vietnam dedicated to mixed martial arts (MMA), organized by VMMAF in coordination with partners since 2022. The tournament has quickly become a launching pad for talented young fighters in the country, contributing to the professionalization of the movement and building a systematic MMA ecosystem in Vietnam. Lion Championship is organized in the form of a tournament throughout the year, including many qualifying, semi-final and final events in a knockout format. Fighters compete in a system of 8 professional weight classes for men (56 kg, 60 kg, 65 kg, 70 kg, 77 kg, 84 kg, 93 kg) and women (52 kg). Each match takes place in an international standard octagon cage, with a duration of three rounds (each round lasts 5 minutes), except for championship matches that can last up to five rounds.

Fighters are selected from many sources: domestic MMA clubs, professional fighters from other disciplines, and faces from the amateur movement. The classification, pairing, and scoring are strictly implemented to build a public and transparent ranking. From this launching pad, many typical faces such as fighter Tran Quang Loc (32nd SEA Games Gold Medalist) have emerged as symbols of Vietnamese MMA with determination and burning passion. In addition, talents such as Nguyen Thi Thanh Truc, Pham Quoc Dat, and Hoang Nam Thang... have also continuously attracted attention at international tournaments, reflecting the significant potential of Vietnamese martial arts.

At the 32nd SEA Games held in 2023, MMA was officially included in the competition system. Vietnam won many medals, notably the gold medal of Tran Quang Loc in the 65 kg category, showing its bravery and competitiveness in the Southeast Asian region. Not only that, at the 2024 Asian MMA Championship, Vietnam surprised everyone when two fighters entered the semi-finals. Although they have not won any medals, this is a positive sign that continues to show that Vietnamese MMA is capable of competing at the continental level. Because before that, fighter Nguyen Tien Long won the gold medal in the 65 kg category in the traditional MMA category at the first Asian MMA Championship in 2023.

And most recently, on May 23, fighter Nghiem Van Y entered the semi-finals of MMA Road to UFC 2025 which will take place next August... Not only stopping at international matches, some Vietnamese fighters such as Pham Quoc Dat and Hoang Nam Thang have competed in tournaments under IMMAF, BRAVE CF and ROAD FC, showing that Vietnamese MMA has initially integrated with the "global framework race".

Challenges and development directions

Besides the positive signals, the rest of the MMA system still has many unresolved issues: International standard training centers at the two ends of the country , Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, have not been formed. The current gyms are mostly invested and operated by private individuals, lacking standard cages to organize national professional tournaments. The coaching staff still lacks comprehensive specialized skills, most of them come from familiar martial arts such as: boxing, judo, muay, wushu... so they are not guaranteed to follow the modern trend of MMA. Financially, many fighters still have to pay for their own training costs, the lack of support makes it difficult for them to focus all their efforts on international competitions.

VMMAF is planning a development strategy until 2030 with clear goals: establishing a national MMA center, recruiting young fighters from all localities and strengthening international cooperation. The strategy also aims to organize a national professional MMA tournament, simulating the ONE Championship model to create motivation for competition and attract sponsorship. This was expressed by the Head Coach of the national MMA team Tran Van Thang: "We not only want to participate but also want Vietnamese fighters to play an important role in the ONE and UFC arenas in the next few years."

The important issue that is still lacking is the policy mechanism and support from the State; a solid ecosystem based on physical resources, a team of international experts and sustainable finance. Initially, MMA is considered one of the sports with the potential to reach international standards. Former Director of the Vietnam National Sports Department Dang Ha Viet shared: “We must invest heavily in sports from human resources to equipment, aiming for the 2026 ASIAD and the 2028 Olympics..., creating conditions for new sports like MMA to develop in the right direction”.

MMA is a martial art that demonstrates strength, strategy, endurance, and indomitable spirit. Vietnam has long had a strong traditional martial arts culture. With MMA, we can combine the quintessence of traditional martial arts with modern techniques to create our own path with national identity.

In order for Vietnamese fighters to be able to appear on the UFC stage and for audiences to be proud of the image of the Vietnamese flag on international stages, strategic investment is needed from the State, federation, community and private sector. Vietnamese MMA is standing on a great threshold. Overcoming difficulties in facilities, human resources and finance, Vietnamese MMA can completely step up to the international peak, demonstrate the talent and identity of a national martial art and create confidence in the young generation.

Source: https://bvhttdl.gov.vn/khat-vong-vuon-tam-quoc-te-cua-vo-thuat-tong-hop-viet-nam-20250625094933992.htm