Ministry of Sport of Azerbaijan: Official Recognition for the Azerbaijan Grappling and Mixed Martial Arts Federation

The President of Gamma Europe Paolo Biotti, announces that as of today, 26.05.2026, the President of the National Gamma Federation in Azerbaijan Azad Asgarov, has received the formal institutional recognition from the Ministry of Youth and Sport of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

The Ministry, led by Minister of Sport Farid Gayibov, has officially recognized the Azerbaijan Grappling and Mixed Martial Arts Federation as the exclusive national governing body responsible for the governance, development, and promotion of grappling and MMA disciplines in the country.

During the announcement, President Paolo Biotti also highlighted his friendship and collaboration since 2016 with former world professional Greco-Roman wrestling and MMA world champion Azad Asgarov, who is now recognized as one of the most prominent sports managers in Europe.

Paolo Biotti further stated that :” the Government of Azerbaijan, since the appointment of Minister Farid Gayibov, former President of the European Gymnastics Federation (FIG), has become one of the most recognized countries in Europe in the development, promotion, and education of youth sports.” In this regard, it was recalled that on May 9, the SportAccord World Conference was scheduled to take place in Baku but was later postponed due to issues related to air travel connections.

President of Gamma Europe, Paolo Biotti, finally stated: “The recognition granted to the Azerbaijan Federation with Azad Asgarov represents a further strengthening of regulatory safety in MMA and the adoption of international standards through the implementation of ITA and WADA anti-doping protocols, for which Gamma is globally recognized. Minister of Sport Farid Gayibov is an internationally figure in the anti-doping and chaired the UNESCO World Anti-Doping Conference in 2025.”

Azad Asgarov President of the Azerbaijan MMA, Pankration and Grappling Federation

Azad Asgarov began his sporting career in childhood through Greco-Roman wrestling, where he quickly achieved notable results at national level. During the Soviet Union and later Russian sporting periods, he became a multiple-time competition winner in wrestling disciplines.

He transitioned into Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) in the early stages of the sport’s international development and has competed as a professional MMA fighter since the 1990s.

In 2001, he won a world-ranking event in Japan, and in 2006 he became World Champion at a major international championship held in Russia. Throughout his career, he competed extensively in Japan and in several other countries, building a strong international record.

In total, Azad Asgarov has competed in+ 50 professional MMA bouts during his fighting career.

••• 
Azad Asgarov President of the Azerbaijan MMA, Pankration and Grappling Federation

Azad Askarov began his sporting career in childhood through Greco-Roman wrestling, where he quickly achieved notable results at national level. During the Soviet Union and later Russian sporting periods, he became a multiple-time competition winner in wrestling disciplines.

He transitioned into Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) in the early stages of the sport’s international development and has competed as a professional MMA fighter since the 1990s.

In 2001, he won a world-ranking event in Japan, and in 2006 he became World Champion at a major international championship held in Russia. Throughout his career, he competed extensively in Japan and in several other countries, building a strong international record.

In total, Azad Asgarov has competed in+ 50 professional MMA bouts during his fighting career.