A GAISF representative attended the IMMAF General Assembly today ©ITG

A representative of the Global Association of International Sports Federations (GAISF) attended the International Mixed Martial Arts Association (IMMAF) General Assembly here in what is seen as a key step for the organisation.

GAISF President Ivo Ferriani, who took on the top job in November, asked Italian official Donato Milano to observe the meeting.

The IMMAF has attempted to become a member of GAISF, which is required if one day the sport is to achieve Olympic recognition, for several years but has so far been unsuccessful.

President Kerrith Brown has said that "political factions" within GAISF have been "pushing against mixed martial arts" and preventing IMMAF from gaining recognition.

The governing body is still campaigning for a place despite an announcement from Ferriani that the umbrella body could dissolve.

A representative of GAISF has never attended the IMMAF General Assembly in the organisation's 10-year history.

"If you look at the criteria for GAISF, it's well documented that I think we've surpassed that," Brown, an Olympic bronze medallist in judo at Los Angeles 1984, said to insidethegames.

"There was the old regime, and now we've got a new President who has made a statement saying they want to disband it.

"We're not privy to those conversations.

"What I'm hoping for is that he's going to clear the process.

"We just want a fair shot with the information that is provided.

"We don't want any favours or an advantage by someone putting in a special word for us, we want it to be that if we meet the requirements we become recognised."

New GAISF President Ivo Ferriani, also the head of the International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation and an International Olympic Committee member, sent a representative to the IMMAF General Assembly ©Getty Images
New GAISF President Ivo Ferriani, also the head of the International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation and an International Olympic Committee member, sent a representative to the IMMAF General Assembly ©Getty Images

IMMAF has more than 100 member nations and achieved a big goal when signing up to the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Code in December, after years of work and legal action.

A number of countries became full members of IMMAF at the General Assembly after previously having observer status.

This includes World Championship hosts United Arab Emirates.

Angola, Barbados, Ecuador, France, Guyana, Israel, Jamaica, Kosovo, Mongolia, Nigeria, Philippines, Puerto Rico, Sierra Leone, Slovenia, Turkey, Uruguay, Venezuela, Zambia and Zimbabwe also achieved the status.

A vote to expel the United States MMA Federation (UMMAF) was not required as the organisation has resigned its membership.

The UMMAF was placed into special measures by IMMAF in June 2019 due to alleged governance issues.

It was later decided to propose the organisation's expulsion, with the UMMAF challenging this verdict through an arbitration committee.

This ruled in IMMAF's favour.

IMMAF chief executive Densign White said work was in progress to introduce a new member organisation for the US.