Electric, eclectic and eccentric. These 3 words shall define the path of those involved in the invasion this year. The Malaysian Invasion Mixed Martial Arts (MIMMA) is back and once again sending shock waves to rattle the regional MMA scene. Following the highly successful run last year, it has been established that MIMMA is the biggest amateur mixed martial arts fighting championship in Asia if not the world. The coverage received globally was tremendously enormous with 90 million impressions made on Facebook and 500000 hits on mimmalive.tunetalk.com during the Grand Finals capturing eyeballs from 101 countries.
The invasion started strongly in season 1, everyone was blown away by season 2 and now season 3 is set to rewrite history all over again. This year, MIMMA will again invade major cities throughout Malaysia to unearth more raw MMA talents. Among these talents, the most eligible ones will challenge the currents champions for the MIMMA Championship belts with over RM150000 in cash prizes to be won.
The Malaysian Invasion Mixed Martial Arts Fighting Championship is the brainchild of Tune Talk CEO Jason Lo with the Minister of Youth & Sports, Yang Berhormat Tuan Khairy Jamaluddin with the objective of developing the MMA scene in Malaysia by focusing on the grassroots level in order to create a stronger base for the sport locally with the hope of one day producing a world champion.
Jason Lo stated, “We are proud to be part of this journey of building the MMA scene in Malaysia with efforts from all quarters, from many fighters, trainers, gyms and fans. From all the franchises, we stand today more united than ever. More than any slogan can suggest or illustrate. The MMA scene in Malaysia over the past few years has bloomed from where it was relatively unknown, unfounded and uncool. Now we have local tournaments from every corner of our nation. And a burgeoning amateur scene empowered by the understanding and beliefs that amateurs have an advantage, are better informed than ever and can make the right decisions for their careers.”
“The overwhelming support from the Kementrian Belia Dan Sukan and the setting up of the Malaysian Mixed Martial Arts Association (MASMMAA) is part of all our collective efforts to create the best environment to sustain MMA careers and breed world champions. This is the legacy all of us will leave behind. Like a footprint in time, forever will this be known as the moment we got our current, our power and when we were right there during the ‘Electrifying Age of Malaysian MMA!” he added.
The invasion will once again have a nationwide tryouts where we will visit 5 states; Johor, Penang, Sabah, Sarawak, and Selangor. All episodes of MIMMA 3 will be aired on RTM TV1 in order to reach out to all Malaysians wherever they are. This year, the initial registration process will be done online. Fighters who are interested to join the invasion can fill in their details on www.malaysianinvasion.com
Other than that, 2015 will see the introduction of 2 new categories to further expand the immensity of the invasion. In season 2, a good number of female fighters came to the tryouts and generally female fights will draw huge fan turnouts. It seems apt to introduce a female category for season 3 as the country is in dire need of female MMA fighters. The MMA scene will not be complete without female fighters to continue the legacy of our very own Malaysian MMA Princess Ann Osman, who is also one of Tune Talk’s warrior. Other than that, a foreign pride category will also be introduced for amateur foreigners interested to fight in MIMMA. Details as listed below:
Female Catchweight Division (Above 48kg to below 56.7kg)
Foreign Pride Catchweight Division (Above 61.2kg to below 70.3kg)
To top it all off, Tune Talk has also taken another bold step in ensuring a greater exposure for MMA in the region. Known for doing things unconventionally, the company will organize ‘Mixed Martial A’RRRR!: Terror on the High Seas’ which will be the first fighting event held on a cruise ship in international waters. The 4 days 3 nights (Penang – Phuket – Krabi – Penang) mixed martial arts cruise crossover will start from the 31st of May till 3rd of June 2015.
The invasion is not only about fighters; it is also about building and strengthening the MMA community. There is something about high-spirited individuals in the community who see life through a different lens. Their energy electrifies the sport and with the invasion, it will not go to waste. MIMMA 3 will be so electrifying; the regional MMA scene will light up brighter than ever.
