PHNOM PENH, May 8 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia is ready to host the second Asian Mixed Martial Arts Championship from July 11 to 13, the National Olympic Committee of Cambodia (NOCC) said on Wednesday.
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet is scheduled to open the tournament at the capital's Olympic Stadium, the NOCC said, adding that the games will bring together more than 100 elite Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fighters from more than 20 countries and regions across Asia.
Co-organized by the NOCC and the Olympic Council of Asia, the event will be the largest-ever gathering of MMA fighters in Cambodia, NOCC's secretary general Vath Chamroeun said.
"We hope this regional tournament will help further promote Cambodia's traditional martial arts, such as Kun Bokator and Kun Khmer, to the international stage," he said.
Chamroeun added that the tournament also serves as a qualification round for the sixth Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games, which will be hosted by Thailand in November.
MMA is a full-contact hybrid combat sport, incorporating elements of striking, grappling and ground fighting from many different fighting styles from around the world.
In the first edition of the games held in Thailand in August 2023, Cambodian athletes bagged two bronze medals. ■
