South Africa's highly respected official Charl Van Tonder has been appointed as Chief Referee A ahead of this year's IMMAF Africa Championships. Van Tonder is known world wide not only as a coach but also as an established official who works in various top promotions including the PFL.
Image: Supplied
Team South Africa is all set and ready to fly the flag of Mzansi at this year’s International Mixed Martial Arts Federation (IMMAF) Africa Championships.
The annual tournament returns to Luanda, Angola for a second consecutive year, following a successful event held at the Pavilhão Multiusos do Kilamba and Kalimba Arena. That edition saw the emergence and continued growth of many promising African mixed martial artists competing under the official global regulatory body for amateur MMA.
Independent Media and MzansiMMA have received confirmation of nine athletes who will represent South Africa at the continental showpiece, set to take place from April 13 to 16, 2026.
This event will not only serve as a valuable litmus test for aspiring African athletes, but will also provide an opportunity to test the waters, sharpen their skill sets, and identify areas for improvement ahead of the IMMAF World Championships later this year, scheduled for November 1–7 in Tbilisi, Georgia—where even stiffer international competition will be on display.
Caitey Karagiannidis (right) claimed Women’s Strawweight gold in emphatic fashion, submitting Angola’s Adjanie Zanga at last year’s IMMAF Africa Championships.
Image: IMMAF
Leandro Freitas, Liam Mayes, Caleb Swart, Danté D’Amico, Liam Smith, Luke Ackers, Keenan Smith, Liam Smith, John James (JJ) Karagiannidis, and his sister Caitey have been named to represent Team South Africa on the south-western coast of Africa.
The Karagiannidis siblings will return to pick up where they left off last year, aiming to continue their dominant run in 2026. Caitey earned Youth A, Women’s Strawweight gold via submission over Angola’s Adjanie Zanga, while her brother—a three-time World Championships competitor, 2024 Junior Africa Champion, and 2025 Senior silver medallist—will look to go one step further this year.
This will be his final IMMAF Africa Championship appearance as he sets his sights on turning professional, carrying a solid record of 11 wins from 15 bouts on the IMMAF circuit and in reputable amateur promotions, including Versus Fight Night.
Swart will be looking to stamp his authority on the Youth A Men’s Middleweight division after overcoming two opponents en route to gold last year.
It was a case of so close, yet so far for D’Amico, who suffered a loss in the finals last year against teammate Caiden Bouwer in the Youth A Men’s Lightweight division—an outcome he will be eager to build on this time around.
Five South African officials have also been selected for the upcoming tournament and will play a pivotal role in enforcing the rules and, more importantly, ensuring the safety of athletes throughout the prestigious competition.
Renowned and globally respected referee Charl Van Tonder has been appointed as Chief Referee A, while Angelia Seline Ferreira and Petrus (Pietie) Coxen will serve as Referee and Judge Cs. Charalambous Karagiannidis has been listed as Referee and Judge B and Cobus Wickus has been tasked with a Cutman role.
Stay tuned to the MzansiMMA and IMMAF Instagram pages for more updates over the coming days.
IOL Sport