The first Central American Championships is scheduled to begin on July 12©GAMMA

Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) officials hope the first Central American Championships, set to take place in Nicaragua this July, will continue growth of the sport around the world.

A group of seven countries are expected to take part in the event, which is to be held in San Juan del Sur on the South coast of Nicaragua from July 12 to 17. 

"Developing the sport across the Central American region has been one of the focus areas in recent years and I am very pleased to see that there is already the possibility to arrange an international competition in Nicaragua," Global Association of Mixed Martial Arts (GAMMA) President Alexander Engelhardt said.

"We have several dedicated Members in Central America who are taking the initiative to develop the sport by staging these events, I am looking forward to many more in the future."

The new competition is being given support and assistance by GAMMA and is the latest regional event in the sport.

The first Central American MMA Championships will be contested in three weight categories but organisers hope subsequent competitions will be expanded ©GAMMA
The first Central American MMA Championships will be contested in three weight categories but organisers hope subsequent competitions will be expanded ©GAMMA

In 2022 GAMMA held European Championships in Tbilisi in Georgia and Asia-Pacific Championships in Pattaya in Thailand.

The Oceania Regional MMA Championships, due to open on June 9, are the first International competition on the 2023 calendar.

It is planned that the inaugural Central American Championships competition will feature bouts in three weight categories.

Organisers hope that subsequent competitions will be enlarged to include more weight categories and a dedicated competition for youth fighters.