MMA World Championship

For those of you that don't know, I won the United States Mixed Martial Arts Federation (UMMAF) National Championship Tournament last May.  Winners of the UMMAF tournament qualified to represent the United States as members of Team USA in international competition at the IMMAF world championship tournament in Bahrain this November.  

Mixed Martial Arts has not yet been recognized as an Olympic sport, but the people at UMMAF are working hard to make it happen as early as 2024.  None of the UMMAF staff, or athletes are paid.  Everyone working for UMMAF does so on a volunteer basis.  All funding comes from sponsorship and donations.  UMMAF is doing their best to acquire funding for the athletes to compete, but at this time, we are expected to come up with funds on our own.  The estimated total cost per athlete is approximately $2440.

-$1400 airfare

-$840  registration/participation   

Any additional funds raised will be applied towards the cost of airfare for coaches.

In addition to working extra hours to come up with as much of the cost as possible on my own,  I expect to be training 25 to 30 hours per week in preparation for the tournament.  

As fighters, we accept all obstacles put in front of us as simply part of the journey.  This is no different, but any donation, no matter the size helps.  It will be appreciated more than I can possibly explain.  This is more than just a plane ticket to me.  Everything in my life revolves around MMA and this tournament provides an unparalleled opportunity for young fighters to gain the exposure they need to advance their careers.

With the help of your donation,  we will show the rest of the world that the United States is the without a doubt, a powerhouse in the world of MMA.

Donation or not,  thanks for reading.

-Sean "The Sweetheart" Stebbins