Championing the African MMA cause
Brakpan’s former world kickboxing champion, Raymond “The Whip” Phillips, has been elected to the board of directors of the International Mixed Martial Arts Federation (IMMAF), the world governing body for amateur mixed martial arts (MMA).
Phillips, who runs the Xtreme Kickboxing Technologies (XKT) organisation, was recently appointed as the African continental representative within IMMAF, during the recent IMMAF World Championships, held in Las Vegas, where he was the manager of the South African contingent who took part at the championships.
He also serves as the current vice-president of Mixed Martial Arts South Africa (MMA-SA), an affiliate of the Martial Arts Authority of South Africa (MAASA), sanctioned by the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (Sascoc).
Phillips is the president of amateur MMA-SA and is making great strides in MMA development in the country and opening doors for the African MMA community.
He is strongly committed to creating an All-Africa MMA Championships, which should take place in South Africa next year.
“In the last two years we [MMA-SA] have accomplished more than any other board before us,” Phillips said.
“We have now established ourselves within IMMAF and have also, for the first time, handed over national colours in the sport, which I hope will stimulate growth and competition in the sport.
“Our fighters have also, in the last two years, brought back two gold medals and a bronze medal from the last two world championships.”
His commitment to the sport is clear-cut and evident.
“I might die tomorrow, but the sport will always go on; the sport is bigger than a person,” he said.
“I think South Africa can and will be much stronger for this, because we will get more international events here and also be able to participate in and be better accommodated at more tournaments abroad.
“It is an important position and one of the most important positions that a South African can have in the sport.”
His job now is to bring all the African countries together under the IMMAF banner and to ensure that their structures stick to the regulations and standards set out by the sport’s governing body.
It’s a daunting task, but Phillips has proven that, with a bit of application and dedication to a cause, big things can be achieved in the sport.
