The ISCF Mission For
Mixed Martial Arts...
"Safety, Credibility, Fairness, Recognition, Support & Unification
of Mixed Martial Arts Around The World"

"The goal of the International Sport Combat Federation is to regulate safe and fair rules and regulations and help provide exposure and opportunities for local, regional, national and international competition among amateur and professional mixed martial arts fighters, trainers, promoters and officials. We will, through adherence to and enforcement of these rules and regulations, strive to make competitive mixed martial arts fighting a safe and fair sport as we continue to help bring exposure to and enhance the present as well as the future of the sport we serve, Mixed Martial Arts."
Steve Fossum, President International Sport Combat Federation

THE HISTORY OF THE
ISCF
International Sport Combat Federation

The ISCF was formed in May of 1999. Since then it has experienced tremendous growth and is today the Largest Sanctioning Body for full contact, amateur and professional Mixed Martial Arts in the world.

In 2006, the UFC Organization made MMA a more recognized sport with a TV deal with Spike TV. The show was a great success and almost overnight, the sport of MMA Exploded in the publics eye in the United States. Because of the sports popularity and the need for safety and fairness through "Sanctioning" of the sport throughout the USA, ISCF's number of sanctioned events grew as well. Within 18 months of the UFC/Spike TV deal the ISCF went from sanctioning 30-40 events a year to over 300. This number eventually grew near the 400 mark and continues to grow today.

The ISCF has sanctioned MMA in many places. Some States before MMA was an accepted sport and several that use MMA Sanctioning Bodies such as the ISCF to oversee all aspects of an event even today. As of January, 2010, the ISCF has sanctioned events in Georgia, Tennessee, Missouri, Nevada, Idaho, Louisiana, Virginia, Washington DC, Oklahoma, New Jersey, Wyoming, South Dakota, Montana, Nebraska, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Alabama, Arkansas, North Dakota, Michigan, Massachusetts, Kansas, Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Florida, Ohio, Connecticut and California along with Canada, Mexico, England, India, Iran and even an armed forces event in Iraq in 2009.

As was the case for States such as Georgia, Nevada, Missouri, Idaho, Virginia, Louisiana, Washington DC, Oklahoma and Tennessee, in January of 2010 the State of South Carolina recently approved ISCF as a Pro and Amateur sanctioning body.

The ISCF is the sister organization of the International Kickboxing Federation. It is based in Newcastle, California, and its President is Steve Fossum (Right) and Vice President is Steve Crawford (Left) out of Kansas City, Kansas.

BACK IN 1999...
The ISCF first started out as an event "Promotional Company" that was created by Nick Carroll and Jiro Shiroma of Arizona, USA. They originally approached the IKF to design an ISCF title belt. As the IKF and IKF President Steve Fossum became more involved, he offered up the suggestion that the IKF take over the ISCF as a "Sanctioning Body" for their events and they would sanction their events for free.

Fossum was aware that MMA needed sanctioning and with the known success of the IKF both Nick Carroll and Jiro Shiroma were excited about the idea. Fossum's desire was to build the ISCF as he had with the IKF, bigger, better and an organized "Sanctioning" organization for Mixed Martial Arts. Much like the IKF had done for Kickboxing.

With all eager to see the ISCF grow the decision was easy and Fossum and his staff took over the ISCF operations and went to work.

The first step was to have a logo created that was similar to the IKF logo. So Fossum contracted with Foster Graphics (The same design firm that designed the new IKF logo) to design the "First" ISCF logo (Right) and the true beginning of the ISCF had taken shape.

IKF President Steve Fossum and his staff soon went to work on building the ISCF much the same as the IKF with structured rankings, updated news page and an active website, www.ISCFMMA.com

A major help to the ISCF growth was Augusta Georgia Promoter Mike Carlson. (Pictured Left & Right) Carlson became the ISCF's Director Of Operations before his legal career demanded more of his time, eventually resigning from the position in the mid 2000's.

Carlson's work included the organizing of many mixed martial arts promotions. In one of those events, Din Thomas (of Team Rival, Pictured with ISCF World Title Belt at Left with Carlson) defeated Jens "The Pulverizer" Puiver (Team Extreme) by heel hook at :35 seconds of round 2 to win the first ever ISCF Pro WORLD Title on August 26th, 2000, at the Augusta-Richmond County Civic Center in Augusta, Georgia, USA.

Carlson was a big help refining the ISCF rules and regulations along with promoting his own events, "Winter Wars" and the "Fall Brawl".

By 2005 the ISCF was still the only sanctioning body solely dedicated to sanctioning Mixed Martial Arts around the World and had been since it was started. There were tons of "Promotional Companies" but no actual "Sanctioning Bodies for MMA." Over the next several years "Kickboxing" and even "Boxing" sanctioning bodies started sanctioning MMA. This of course is like the NFL (National Football League) sanctioning Auto Racing...

By the end of 2005 the ISCF was sanctioning an average of 30-40 Pro and amateur MMA events a year. However, as many reading this know, 2006 was the beginning of the MMA BOOM! By the end of 2006 the ISCF had sanctioned well over 300 events in North America alone and that number grew to around 400 events in 2007.

In addition, the ISCF continues to be not only the Largest MMA Sanctioning body in the World but the only LEGIT MMA Sanctioning Body in the World for Mixed Martial Arts. Many so called Sanctioning Bodies claim to be an MMA sanctioning body but yet show an obvious conflict of interest in sanctioning their own events.

The ONLY event the ISCF Promotes and sanctions is the first ever MMA Golden Gloves Tournament, the ISCF World Classic, which is now held every year to determine the BEST Amateur MMA fighters in the World. The dynamic belts awarded for the OPEN Class fighters on this event can be seen at right.

The ISCF still continues to be the ONLY MMA Sanctioning body with true MMA Rankings for both Amateur and Pro MMA Fighters. when searching for an MMA Sanctioning body, you will ALWAYS find that on the other "So Called" MMA Sanctioning body web pages, their rankings pages only contain words such as "Fighter Rankings Coming Soon." This is always added with words such as "Coming Soon" on many of their other pages such as their news pages, event pages, rules and regulations, etc. etc.

While the many other so called MMA Sanctioning Bodies are making Claims of what they can be, would be, will be or want to be, the ISCF IS BEING "THE" Only TRUE and LEGIT Sanctioning Body for Mixed Martial Arts!

The ISCF Mission For Mixed Martial Arts...
"Safety, Credibility, Fairness, Recognition, Support & Unification of Mixed Martial Arts Around The World"
"The goal of the International Sport Combat Federation is to regulate safe and fair rules and regulations and help provide exposure and opportunities for local, regional, national and international competition among amateur and professional mixed martial arts fighters, trainers, promoters and officials. We will, through adherence to and enforcement of these rules and regulations, strive to make competitive mixed martial arts fighting a safe and fair sport as we continue to help bring exposure to and enhance the present as well as the future of the sport we serve, Mixed Martial Arts."
Steve Fossum, President International Sport Combat Federation


To Read More Click HERE.

The Official ISCF Web Site can be found at
www.ISCFMMA.com

MORE ABOUT THE ISCF...
The ISCF, International Sport Combat Federation is the sister organization for Mixed Martial arts with the IKF, International Kickboxing Federation. The IKF did something no other Sanctioning organization has ever done for the sport of kickboxing. Organize the sport! The IKF not only developed a complete and detailed ranking system from amateurs to pros but they also separated all 4 styles of kickboxing into their own ranking divisions. These divisions currently include, Full Contact Rules, International Rules, Muay Thai Rules & San Shou Rules. In addition, the IKF listed phone numbers and e-mails to each fighters name to make them easy to contact for matchmaking worldwide. They have listed in detail each fighters complete record, height, weight, age and even their trainers name, again, like NO one has ever done before. This detailed organization has made the IKF the fastest growing Kickboxing Sanctioning Organization in the World today.

It is with the request of those involved in Mixed Martial Arts that the IKF was asked to place Amateur and Professional MMA Fighters into a ranking system so they can know who their competition is and where they rank among their peers.