Amateur / Semi-Pro
Four years (2012-2016) in the world’s toughest amateur MMA system, against internationally ranked fighters, ending as a World Amateur Champion.
The Amateur Years
When Andreas moved into MMA in 2012, he skipped the soft start most fighters take. From his earliest bouts he faced ranked opposition in the UK’s elite semi-pro system, headlined title fights, and closed the chapter as a World Amateur MMA Champion.
From judo to the cage
After more than a decade of competing internationally in judo at an Youth Olympic level, Andreas Tricomitis transitioned into Mixed Martial Arts to continue competing against the highest possible level of opposition. This was not a casual transition and not a developmental phase. From the very beginning, he competed against ranked fighters at the top of the amateur (semi-professional) MMA scene worldwide.
The toughest amateur system in the world
In 2012, Andreas moved to the United Kingdom and began training MMA under head coach Ozzy Haluk at MMA Studio UK in Manchester. At that time, the UK had the strongest amateur (semi-pro) MMA system in the world. No other country, including the United States, had invested as heavily in the amateur structure. While the U.S. traditionally focused on the professional level due to pay-per-view revenue, the UK developed one of the most competitive and regulated amateur pipelines globally. Fighters were ranked, closely tracked, and heavily filtered, and only the highest-level athletes reached main events, title eliminators, and championship bouts.
From the start of his MMA career, Andreas consistently faced elite opposition. He fought the No.1 ranked amateur in Europe twice. In 2014, he fought and defeated the No.2 ranked amateur in the world, an IMMAF Silver Medalist, by unanimous decision. These were internationally ranked fighters with verified records, not local or regional opponents.
A judo first in the cage
During this period, Andreas became the first fighter in MMA history to successfully execute the Kata Guruma, a traditional Kodokan judo throw, inside an MMA bout. This was not symbolic. It was applied successfully against high-level opposition and demonstrated the direct and effective transfer of elite judo into MMA competition.
The early fights
Between 2012 and 2016, he competed across four major promotions in two countries, consistently appearing in main events, title eliminators, and championship fights.
In his amateur (semi-professional) debut in 2012, Andreas suffered a submission loss after sustaining a serious ankle injury during the fight. Later that same year, he competed at Night of Warriors in Cyprus and won by third-round TKO victory. The following year in 2013, he headlined Fight Ikon UK, winning by unanimous decision against a top UK prospect with a 2-0 record. The bout was awarded Fight of the Night.
In 2014, he competed at Full Contact Contender (FCC) against the No. 1 ranked welterweight in the United Kingdom, a future British champion and IMMAF World Amateur MMA silver medalist with an 8-1 record. Andreas won the fight by displaying unseen and very rare judo techniques used in MMA, earning a unanimous decision victory and being awarded Performance of the Night. He was the first ever in MMA history to execute the kata guruma flawlessly, as seen online in the fight videos.
The Shinobi run and a World Amateur title
Moving into 2015, Andreas competed for the FCC Welterweight Title, where he suffered a controversial submission loss. Later that same year, he entered the Shinobi MMA Fighting Championship title-elimination bout. At the time, Shinobi was widely regarded as the highest-level amateur (semi-pro) MMA organization in the world, particularly in the welterweight division. Andreas won the elimination fight by first-round submission against a top-ranked opponent with a 5-1 record. By the end of 2015, Andreas had secured his position as the next title contender within Shinobi MMA, the largest and most competitive all-in amateur MMA organization in the world at that time, operating before the existence of a unified global amateur governing body.
Following this title-elimination victory, Shinobi MMA officially merged with Cage Warriors, the leading MMA organization in Europe and one of the most respected in the world, operating as a direct pipeline toward Cage Warriors events and the UFC Fight Pass system. After the merger, the promotion evolved into Shinobi War (Cage Warriors Academy), creating a unified and highly structured amateur platform specifically designed to prepare athletes for professional MMA and, ultimately, the UFC.
Under this newly established structure, Andreas competed for the Shinobi War (Cage Warriors Academy) Welterweight World Amateur Title. He captured the championship by unanimous decision against an Irish champion, becoming a World Amateur MMA Champion.
Why the foundation matters
Shortly after this period, the rise of IMMAF reshaped amateur MMA worldwide, adopting IJF-style governance led by people with strong judo and international sport backgrounds. That shift marked the end of Andreas’ amateur career.
At that time, no fighter from Cyprus or Greece had faced, defeated, or consistently competed against this level of ranked amateur opposition. That foundation, built over years of structured, high-level competition, is a large part of why his style is so hard to match.