Torino set to represent SA at the IMMAF World Championships

A big congratulations to Gian-Carlo Torino, representing Mustang Athletic and Pietermaritzburg, Kwa-Zulu Natal, for not only winning the South African National Mixed Martial Arts Championship Welterweight Title in 2024 but for also defending his title this year in Durban at the 2025 South African National Mixed Martial Arts Championships.

Gian-Carlo continued to go on to compete at the ADCC Cape Town Challenge, a no-gi submission wrestling event hosted in Cape Town on 28 June 2025. Gian-Carlo, taking home Gold, had 3 bouts in the Men +18 / Intermediate / Adults / -76kg, winning his first bout by 5 points against Nizaam Williams, then winning his second bout by Decision against Douw Smit, and going on to winning his third bout by Submission against Jesse Salt.        

Gian-Carlo is set to represent South Africa at the IMMAF 2025 Junior and Senior World Championships from 27 Sep – 2 Oct in Tbilisi, Georgia. “Team South Africa will be sending its top Mixed Martial Arts athletes to represent their country at this prestigious tournament and will be aiming to bring home the gold, as they have done in previous World Championships.

This tournament is anticipated to be the largest event in IMMAF history and will be delivered in collaboration with Georgia’s Ministry of Sport, shining a spotlight on the country’s deep-rooted combat sports culture and rising influence in global MMA.” – MMASA.

We are looking forward to welcoming sponsorship opportunities to help Gian-Carlo and his coach, Wayne Raman, to get to Tbilisi, Georgia. Gian-Carlo is proving to be a great leader and is leading the charge for the Midlands in Pietermaritzburg, Kwa-Zulu Natal in the South African Mixed Martial Arts and Submission Grappling world. Gian-Carlo has shown that he is one of the best Mixed Martial Artists in South Africa to date.

Gian-Carlo is training hard and looking forward to his up-and-coming competitions and we wish him all the best from Midlands, Pietermaritzburg and Mustang Athletic Team.