MMA GAMMA 2025: Burkina Faso brings home 5 medals from São Paulo
The Burkinabe delegation returned home triumphantly after a remarkable showing at the 2025 GAMMA World MMA Championships, held from June 16 to 22 in São Paulo, Brazil. Out of the seven fighters who competed, five made it onto the podium—solid proof of Burkina Faso’s growing strength in the sport.
Israel Mano stood out, earning two silver medals in the heavyweight (-120.2 kg) and super heavyweight (+102.1 kg) categories. Traoré Amadou (-74.9 kg), Kambou Amza (-83.9 kg), and Toe Sibiri Ben Ali (-83.9 kg) each won bronze in Striking MMA.
“It’s a great pride to have represented our nation among competitors from around sixty countries”, said Israel Mano, who competed despite an injury sustained during the tournament. All the athletes dedicated their performances to the Defense and Security Forces, the Volunteers for the Defense of the Homeland, and Captain Ibrahim Traoré.
Abraham Mano, president of the Burkinabe Association of Mixed Martial Arts (ABMMA), praised the fighters’ determination in spite of the lack of proper facilities. “They train under basic conditions, yet they deliver results. To aim even higher, we still need to improve our ground game”, he noted.
With these performances, Burkina Faso has written a new chapter in its MMA journey—just its second appearance at the world championships.
