New Zealand SAMBO Federation

WORLD SAMBO CHAMPIONSHIPS 2026 REGULATIONS PUBLISHED

The International SAMBO Federation (FIAS) has published the regulations for the World SAMBO Championships 2026. The 50th anniversary tournament will take place in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, from 6 to 8 November, with medals contested in Sport SAMBO, Combat SAMBO and Blind SAMBO among both men and women.

The Championships will be hosted at the Game Sports Arena in the Olympic Village and will bring together three disciplines:

Sport SAMBO
Men: 58, 64, 71, 79, 88, 98, +98 kg
Women: 50, 54, 59, 65, 72, 80, +80 kg

Combat SAMBO
Men: 58, 64, 71, 79, 88, 98, +98 kg
Women: 50, 54, 59, 65, 72, 80, +80 kg

Blind SAMBO (sport class SVI1)
Men: 64, 79, 98 kg
Women: 50, 59 kg

Sport SAMBO and Blind SAMBO will be contested using a group-stage format followed by knockout rounds, with repechage bouts for finalists. Combat SAMBO will follow a group-stage and knockout system without repechage. The team medal count will be conducted according to the Olympic principle.

Athlete registration is carried out exclusively through the FIAS Electronic System – FIAS Database. Each national delegation may include up to 33 athletes, five coaches, a doctor, a masseur and a head of delegation.

A separate requirement applies to athletes with visual impairment: national federations must submit a completed medical diagnostic form no later than 10 October, with classification of the athletes taking place on the eve of the tournament.

Completing an anti-doping education course remains a mandatory condition for accreditation – either ADEL, a national anti-doping organization's course, or an ITA webinar series certificate. Certificates must have been obtained no earlier than 1 August 2024 and submitted to FIAS by 4 November; athletes without this document will not be accredited for the Championships.

The full regulations, including uniform requirements and the technical rules of competition, are available in the International SAMBO Federation's calendar:
https://sambo.sport/en/events/chempionat-mira-po-sambo-2026/

International SAMBO Federation - FIAS

Calling for expressions of interest!!

All blind and vision impaired athletes welcome.

UFC

NEW ZEALAND 🇳🇿 SAMBO & COMBAT SAMBO NATIONALS 2026
‼️REGISTRATION OPEN ‼️

https://smoothcomp.com/en/event/30290

The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) has officially confirmed that the International SAMBO Federation (FIAS) is granted permission to use the “Para” trademark in relation to the SAMBO discipline for athletes with vision impairments. The decision confirms that the federation meets the requirements of the IPC Classification Code and International Standards.
“The International Paralympic Committee has granted us permission to use the 'Para' trademark for the SAMBO discipline for athletes with vision impairments. At first glance, it might seem like just a single word, but in fact this decision reflects recognition of the extensive work that FIAS, together with national SAMBO federations around the world, has carried out over many years to develop this discipline,” said Roman Novikov, FIAS Vice President and Chairman of the FIAS Commission for Athletes with Disabilities.
In its letter, the IPC set out the conditions for using the new designation. The word “Para” must always be written as a separate word, with a capital “P” and without a hyphen – that is, “Para SAMBO”. FIAS has also been granted the right to use the term “Para SAMBO” as the general, umbrella term for the discipline as a whole.
The right to use the trademark applies exclusively to the SAMBO discipline for athletes with vision impairments. Use of the trademark must comply with Article 4 of the IPC Classification Code and the IPC's Intellectual Property Regulations.
Sport New Zealand
Blind Sport New Zealand
Paralympics New Zealand
International SAMBO Federation - FIAS

FIAS PRESIDENT CONGRATULATES SAMBO AMBASSADOR Islam Makhachev ON HIS VICTORY

FIAS President Vasily Shestakov has commented on Islam Makhachev's bout against Ian Machado Garry

“On behalf of the International SAMBO Federation and the entire SAMBO community, I want to congratulate Islam Makhachev on a brilliant victory. Today, Islam not only defended his welterweight title but also wrote his name into the history of mixed martial arts, setting a UFC record for the longest winning streak: 17 consecutive victories.

For those of us in SAMBO, it is especially gratifying to see how the skills instilled through Combat SAMBO are helping Islam dominate at the highest level of MMA. It is worth recalling that Makhachev is the 2016 Combat SAMBO World Champion. It is no coincidence that he was recently awarded the title of Honoured Master of Sport of Russia in SAMBO, and that FIAS named him an official 'SAMBO Ambassador to the World.' This fight was a vivid demonstration of just how versatile a fighter becomes after coming through the SAMBO school.

important to pay tribute to Ian Machado Garry. The Irishman showed remarkable resilience and character, going the full five rounds against the best fighter in the world. He is undoubtedly an athlete with a bright future ahead of him, but Islam's vast experience, masterful technique, and SAMBO skills, both standing and on the ground, ultimately secured a convincing victory for the Russian sambist. It should be noted that Garry did not simply survive - he sought out his moments, competed hard, and showed his best qualities. This fight will stand as valuable experience that can only make him stronger.

He not only brings glory to our sport, which originated in the USSR, but is also making an unprecedented contribution to popularising SAMBO on the international stage. We are proud that it was the SAMBO school that raised such a fighter, and we are confident his example will inspire thousands of young athletes around the world to take up our sport.

🏆 A BIG THANKS to, Hamilton Sambo! 🥋🇳🇿

A very special and personal THANKS to Renea Menderson — for the huge job you did: venue setup, seminar, refereeing, organisation, coordination and so much more! 👏👏👏

And a massive thank you to
Andrew Bramwell,
your entire Hamilton Sambo team, and all the wonderful volunteers for organising such a fantastic Waikato & Bay of Plenty Open SAMBO today!

BRAVO! 👏🔥🥋

Special thanks also to
Taras Barbashin / Sambo HQ
Carlo Meister / CORE MMA
Robert Baxter The Umbrella Way and the Resurrection
for organising and bringing the athletes to compete and support the event.

Events like this happen because of people who give their time, energy, passion and commitment to SAMBO.

🙏 THANK YOU ALL!

Together we are building and growing SAMBO in New Zealand! 🇳🇿🥋