Abraham Mano: "Burkinabè MMA is in very good health"

Burkina Faso made its mark this year at the MMA World Championships in Jakarta, Indonesia. Tell us about the Burkinabè participation.

Abraham Mano: As far as Indonesia goes, I'd say it went well. We travelled with a delegation of six people, namely four athletes, a coach and the federation president. We would have liked to come home with a lot more medals, but the World Championships are top-level competition. For most of our athletes, it was Burkina Faso's first participation at the MMA World Championships, and I have to admit the standard is quite high. Our athletes acquitted themselves very well. Unfortunately we only won a single bronze medal, claimed by Israël Mano.

At this championship, Burkina Faso was honoured by the Global Association of Mixed Martial Arts (GAMMA). Can you confirm that?

Abraham Mano: Yes, alongside these World Championships, the world congress was held, bringing together all the association presidents. As president of the Burkinabè MMA association, I was appointed to the presidium of the Global Association of Mixed Martial Arts (GAMMA), with voting rights. That means Burkina Faso is well placed to have a say in African MMA.

What difficulties did you encounter in preparing for these MMA World Championships?

Abraham Mano: To begin with, we selected eleven fighters for the World Championships, but because of a lack of funds, particularly for plane tickets, we couldn't take the whole squad. It's a bit of the perennial problem we face in the world of sport. But we did what we could to send a few of them.

How is Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) doing in Burkina?

Abraham Mano: It's doing well. In Burkina, quite a few athletes have been taking up MMA over the last few years. I believe they'll be ready to represent the nation with credit at the next World Championships in São Paulo, Brazil. We already have the date of the next World Championships, in June 2025. It's held every year. We'll do everything we can to represent our nation with plenty of athletes. We also have the national MMA championship and the African MMA championship.

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How many fighters do we now have in Burkina Faso?

Abraham Mano: We currently have around 120 MMA practitioners. The number is growing. We have around thirty amateurs.

What are your wishes?

It's to move from being a sports association to a federation, so we can get more support from the State. That's what we're going to do in the coming months. If we get other forms of support, it will allow us not only to take part in the World Championships but also in the African championship, and to hold the national championship as well.

Any final words?

Our association is doing very well. We have delivered our 2024 programme of activities. We took part in the 13th African Games, held in Accra, Ghana, last March, where we entered 4 fighters and won 3 bronze medals. And from there, a few of our fighters have gone on to professional bouts, like Israël Mano, who recently won a fight in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire, at the Pitbull Fighting Championship, and a bronze medal at the MMA World Championships in Jakarta, Indonesia.