2017 UMMAF National Championships

3 Reasons To Watch UMMAF National Championships

3 Reasons To Watch UMMAF National Championships

The nation's best amateur fighters compete May 26 to 28 at the UMMAF National Championships. Here's why that's awesome.

May 22, 2017 by James Lynch
3 Reasons To Watch UMMAF National Championships
The UMMAF National Championship Tournament takes place this weekend (May 26 to 28th) in Elizabethton, Tennessee, airing live on FloCombat.

This amateur tournament features top fighters from across the country, including a number of fighters off the Valor Fights roster. Winners of each of the 14 brackets advance to the 2017 International Mixed Martial Arts Federation World Championships in Manama, Bahrain, which takes place November 12 to 19.

Interestingly enough, the competitors won’t know their opponents until weigh-ins, making the tournament that much more interesting. Some notable past IMMAF world champions include Titan FC multi-division champion Jose “Shorty” Torres and UFC strawweight Amanda Ribas. Here are three reasons to watch.


How to Watch 2017 UMMAF National Championships


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On TV: Now Available on Roku and Apple TV 4—download the FloSports app now.
STREAMING: Only on FloCombat with a PRO subscription. A yearly PRO subscription provides access to ALL FloSports sites.



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Big Sexy Is Back!

 
Heavyweight Billy “Big Sexy” Swanson heads into the UMMAF tournament on a three-fight win streak.

Swanson (6-1) most recently dispatched Kelly Payne in the second round at Valor Fights 41. The 23-year-old fighter brings with him a big personality and has only gone the distance twice in seven career fights. Swanson made his amateur debut in 2015 and aside from a setback at Valor Fights 33 has looked impressive in all of his fights. If you missed our interview with Swanson here on FloCombat, check it out below. 

 


Robins looks to impress

 
David Robins looks to extend his winning streak to six straight as he enters the UMMAF tournament this weekend.

Robins (6-1 ) recently picked up an impressive unanimous decision win over Ryan Driskill at Warrior FC vs. Valor Fights: Border Wars earlier this month. The 26-year-old notched his fifth win in a row and hasn’t lost a fight since 2013.

Robins trains at American Killer Bees in Cleveland, Tennessee, where he trains with Swanson and Valor Fights standout Ben Sergent. An impressive tournament victory here this weekend could propel him to the professional ranks sooner rather than later.  
 

 
Future Watch


A number of top prospects enter this tournament for the first time including 18-year-old Ahva Mayi (4-1 AM). The Nashville MMA product has won four of his last five fights with his opponents having a combined record of 14-3.

Mayi is heavily backed by the Kurdish-American and expects to dominate the tournament.

Angelo " Prince” Rivera Jr. (12-2 AM) also enters this tournament with a ton of momentum. The Chicago Illinois native hasn’t lost since 2012 and he’s won eight of his last nine fights.

FloCombat fans will be familiar with Christopher “Trea” Wills, who has competed a number of times for Kentucky based promotion Hardrock MMA. Willis (4-2 AM) is coming off an impressive second-round submission victory over Damian Miller at Hardrock MMA 88 this past April. The 22-year-old has only gone the distance once in his six-fight career.