The 2026 IMMAF World Championships are set to bring together some of the best amateur fighters from around the world. With several returning medalists and new faces looking to make a name for themselves, this year’s tournament should be an interesting one to follow. Here’s a look at some of the top names to watch heading into the tournament.
The Favorites:
Mason Yarrow – Super Lightweight / Team England
It’s been over three years since Mason Yarrow has taken a loss, and I can’t imagine this time around will be any different. The Englishman stands as one of, if not the best, prospects in the entire talent field and should be a runaway winner in the super lightweight bracket.
Marc Cabrera – Bantamweight / Team Spain
Cabrera impressed at last year’s tournament, scoring silver while representing Team Spain. With both top competitors, gold medalist Joe Frodsham and bronze medalist Imran Hassan, leaving the amateur ranks to go pro, Cabrera’s path is clear for stardom.
Harvey Moore – Light Heavyweight / Team England
Harvey Moore is coming off a bronze medal finish for Team England last year. While he fell short of gold, Moore has the experience and athleticism to make another run at the top spot in 2026. Don’t be shocked if he steamrolls this year’s tournament.
Farhodi Davlatali – Strawweight / Team Tajikistan
Davlatali made his debut at the 2025 World Championships, making a name for himself as he virtually came out of nowhere to win gold for his native Tajikistan. If he’s able to keep this up and maintain an undefeated record while winning back-to-back tournament championships, Davlatali’s name will begin entering serious conversations.
Islom Saidov – Bantamweight / Team Tajikistan
After beginning his career 0-3-0, Saidov has caught quite the groove, winning six of his last seven fights as an amateur. The Dagestan native pulled off a massive upset last December, defeating Yerulan Kabdulov on his way to winning gold for Russia. However, Saidov must prove he’s not just a flash in the pan.
Yerulan Kabdulov – Strawweight / Team Kazahkstan
As mentioned above, Yerulan Kabdulov is coming off an unexpected defeat to Islam Saidov after moving up to flyweight. The Kazakh fighter was shut down in his attempt to reach greatness in a second weight class. This time, however, he’ll look to return to his winning ways by dropping back down to strawweight for the upcoming tournament.
Notable Worlds Debuts:
Ochur Byrynnay, Krystian Jakowicz, and Aydemeir Guseynov will make their IMMAF World Championship debuts. While they’ve competed in similar formats (Jakowicz in MMA Polska, Byrynnay and Guseynov in the Russian MMA Championships), none have participated in a previous IMMAF World tournament. All three fighters can be expected to make an immediate impact, and their transitions should be seamless come fight day.
France’s Super Team:
France has an excellent chance to take the cake this year, led by Thibault De Marinis, Kylian Gnadou, and Abdou Iniev. De Marinis should be considered a top favorite as well. He’ll enter the tournament on an 11-fight win streak after previously winning the European Championships over Artur Asoyan. Supporting De Marinis will be tournament newcomers Gnadou and Iniev, who arrive as gold medalists from this past summer’s Championnat de France.
Can the USA Compete?
Justice Hefley and Andrew Campos are the two Americans who could potentially make some noise. Campos won gold at the Pan American Championship this past September, scoring three consecutive finishes, while Hefley also secured a top finish in his respective weight class. The biggest concern for the two will certainly be the jump in competition from the Pan-Am tournament to the Worlds. However, both enter with a hot hand and could live to play spoiler as underdogs.
