The first major event is next month in Vegas where UMMAF will host a national tournament that will create winners in divisions that will represent the US at an international tournament in July also in Vegas. Another organization has created a city-based team approach that allows a competitive league in a final tournament format to decide a team champion. In both situations, representatives have been established in roughly eight locations and hopes are that the end goal of an Olympic sport is established.
The obvious challenge is these grassroots efforts is funding, where commitments from people like myself include volunteering to support such events. The potential is huge and creating a high standard of performance is of great interest to me, thus getting a leadership role at this point is key for the integrity of the processes in the future. This is not the time to have well-meaning untrained go-getters trying their luck to be a part of things. This includes fighters, officials, and of course cutmen.
I’ll certainly keep you updated on things but for now, I strive to be able to say “Go for the Gold America!”
In his column “Between Rounds” MMA cutman David Maldonado shares with readers his experiences and thoughts from inside the world of MMA. Readers are encouraged to respond, interact and ask questions about the life and work of the MMA cutman. “Between Rounds” is part of ProMMAnow.com‘s ongoing series of exclusive content written by individuals involved in the mixed martial arts industry.