{"id":51154,"date":"2025-08-07T04:07:11","date_gmt":"2025-08-07T04:07:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/51154\/"},"modified":"2025-08-07T04:07:11","modified_gmt":"2025-08-07T04:07:11","slug":"viet-nam-embraces-mma-as-a-path-to-international-success","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/51154\/","title":{"rendered":"Vi\u1ec7t Nam embraces MMA as a path to international success"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"\/Two Vietnamese fighters compete at the recent MMA Championship 24 in H\u00e0 N\u1ed9i. \u2014 Photo tienphong.vn<\/p>\n

MMA<\/p>\n

H\u00c0 N\u1ed8I \u2014 Over the past decade, mixed martial arts (MMA) in Vi\u1ec7t Nam has undergone a remarkable transformation. What began as an unrecognised grassroots movement has evolved into a well-structured sport, achieving impressive international results.<\/p>\n

The establishment of the Vi\u1ec7t Nam Mixed Martial Arts Federation (VMMAF) in 2020 marked a pivotal moment in this journey. Since then, national and youth MMA competitions have been held regularly, paving the way for a new generation of fighters dedicated to athletic excellence.<\/p>\n

Strong initial steps<\/p>\n

The LION Championship MMA is Vi\u1ec7t Nam’s first professional tournament dedicated exclusively to mixed martial arts, organised by VMMAF in collaboration with various partners since 2022. This tournament has rapidly become a launching pad for emerging talent, contributing to the professionalisation of the sport and the creation of a structured MMA ecosystem in the country.<\/p>\n

Vietnamese players are scouted from diverse sources: local MMA clubs, professional athletes from other disciplines and promising amateurs. A rigorous system of ranking, matchmaking and point accumulation ensures transparency and fairness. From this platform, notable figures have emerged, such as Tr\u1ea7n Quang L\u1ed9c, a gold medallist at the SEA Games 32, who symbolises the determination and passion of Vietnamese MMA. Other rising stars like Nguy\u1ec5n Th\u1ecb Thanh Tr\u00fac, Ph\u1ea1m Qu\u1ed1c \u0110\u1ea1t and Ho\u00e0ng Nam Th\u1eafng continue to shine on international stages, reflecting the immense potential of Vietnamese martial arts.<\/p>\n

At the SEA Games 32 in 2023, MMA was officially integrated into the competition lineup. Vi\u1ec7t Nam celebrated several medal wins, most notably Tr\u1ea7n Quang L\u1ed9c’s gold in the 65kg category, demonstrating resilience and competitive spirit in Southeast Asia. The 2024 Asian MMA Championship also showcased Vi\u1ec7t Nam’s prowess, with two Vietnamese fighters reaching the semifinals, a promising sign of the nation’s capability to compete at the continental level. Notably, Nguy\u1ec5n Ti\u1ebfn Long clinched gold at the inaugural Asian MMA Championship in 2023.<\/p>\n

On May 23, fighter Nghi\u00eam V\u0103n \u00dd advanced to the semi-finals of MMA Road to UFC 2025. Vietnamese athletes like Ph\u1ea1m Qu\u1ed1c \u0110\u1ea1t and Ho\u00e0ng Nam Th\u1eafng have also participated in exchange tournaments under IMMAF, BRAVE CF and ROAD FC banners, illustrating Vi\u1ec7t Nam’s integration into the global MMA framework.<\/p>\n

MMA will again be included in the competition programme for the SEA Games 33 at the end of this year, as well as the ASIAD 20 in Japan next year.<\/p>\n

This presents a golden opportunity for Vietnamese fighters to showcase their talents on a prestigious stage, paving the way for the long-term growth and development of this exciting sport.<\/p>\n

\"\"\/Vietnamese fighters compete in the first ever National Mixed Martial Art Club Championships last month. \u2014 Photo thethaovanhoa.vn<\/p>\n

Challenges and development<\/p>\n

Despite these optimistic developments, MMA in Vi\u1ec7t Nam faces several challenges. International-standard training centres in both H\u00e0 N\u1ed9i and HCM City are still in the planning stages. Most current training facilities are privately funded and lack the proper equipment to host professional tournaments. Furthermore, the coaching staff often lacks specialised skills in MMA, primarily coming from more traditional martial arts backgrounds like boxing, judo, muay thai and wushu.<\/p>\n

Financially, many martial artists struggle to cover their own training expenses, and the absence of support hampers their ability to focus on international competitions.<\/p>\n

In response, VMMAF is crafting a development strategy aimed at 2030, with clear objectives: establishing a national MMA centre, scouting young talent nationwide and enhancing international collaboration. The strategy also envisions organising a national-level professional MMA tournament, modelled after the ONE Championship, to inspire competition and attract sponsorship.<\/p>\n

National MMA team head coach Tr\u1ea7n V\u0103n Th\u1eafng emphasises this ambition: “We not only want to participate, but also want Vietnamese players to take centre stage on platforms like ONE and UFC in the years ahead.”<\/p>\n

A critical issue remains \u2014 the need for supportive policies and Government backing. A robust ecosystem, grounded in physical resources, a team of international experts and sustainable financial support, is essential for MMA to thrive.<\/p>\n

As former Director of the Sports Authority of Vi\u1ec7t Nam \u0110\u1eb7ng H\u00e0 Vi\u1ec7t noted: “We must invest strategically in resources from staff to equipment, aiming for ASIAD 2026 and the 2028 Olympics, allowing new sports like MMA to flourish.”<\/p>\n

“MMA embodies strength, strategy, resilience and an unwavering spirit. Vi\u1ec7t Nam’s rich tradition in martial arts provides a strong foundation. By blending the essence of traditional techniques with modern approaches, we can carve out a unique path that reflects our national identity.”<\/p>\n

For Vietnamese fighters to grace the UFC stage and for fans to proudly witness the Vietnamese flag on international arenas, strategic investment from the Government, organisations, communities and the private sector is crucial.<\/p>\n

Vietnamese MMA stands at a significant crossroads. By overcoming challenges related to infrastructure, training and finance, it can reach new international heights, showcasing the talent and identity of a national martial arts tradition while inspiring confidence in the next generation. \u2014 VNS<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Two Vietnamese fighters compete at the recent MMA Championship 24 in H\u00e0 N\u1ed9i. \u2014 Photo tienphong.vn MMA H\u00c0…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":51155,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[444],"tags":[34879,34867,34907,34909,45,49,48,20248,34892,34876,34875,46,29310,34897,34894,34859,34855,295,641,34903,34880,34858,10400,4419,638,34863,34870,34891,34874,34889,34901,34861,34890,34881,34878,34908,34877,714,7460,82,34860,34904,34910,34857,34887,34883,34864,34869,34896,34902,34862,34895,34899,34906,34900,34888,34898,34872,34868,34905,34873,34866,34853,34912,34884,34911,34885,20898,34893,34871,34865,34886,34856,34882,34854],"class_list":["post-51154","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-mma","tag-bao-online","tag-bao-vietnam","tag-bao-vn-net","tag-baovietnam","tag-business","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-current-news","tag-current-news-headlines","tag-daily-nation-newspaper-headlines","tag-daily-nation-today","tag-economy","tag-english-daily","tag-english-news-headlines","tag-english-news-papers","tag-english-newspapers","tag-english-through-the-news","tag-environment","tag-fighting","tag-govt-news","tag-headlines-news","tag-latest-news-today","tag-life","tag-magazine","tag-mma","tag-nation-news-paper","tag-national-news-headlines","tag-national-news-in-english","tag-news-headline","tag-news-headlines-for-today","tag-news-highlights","tag-news-latest","tag-news-paper-online","tag-news-site","tag-news-website","tag-news-vn","tag-newspaper-headlines-today","tag-politics","tag-society","tag-sports","tag-the-vietnam-war","tag-the-vietnam-war-summary","tag-thongtanxavietnam","tag-tin-viet-nam","tag-tin-viet-nam-net","tag-tin-vietnam","tag-today-breaking-news","tag-today-headlines","tag-today-hot-news","tag-today-international-news","tag-today-news-headlines","tag-top-news-headlines","tag-up-to-the-minute-news","tag-viet-nam","tag-viet-news","tag-viet-to-english","tag-vietnam-conflict","tag-vietnam-culture","tag-vietnam-economy","tag-vietnam-exports","tag-vietnam-government","tag-vietnam-history","tag-vietnam-news","tag-vietnam-news-agency","tag-vietnam-people","tag-vietnam-plus","tag-vietnam-today","tag-vietnam-war","tag-vietnam-war-history","tag-vietnam-war-summary","tag-vietnamese-culture","tag-vietnamese-news","tag-vietnamese-to-english","tag-war-in-vietnam","tag-your-say"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/51154","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=51154"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/51154\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/51155"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=51154"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=51154"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=51154"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}