.AFC tips FCT to become Africa’s Mixed Martial Arts hub
The First Sunday Dare National Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) Championship ended in Abuja, at the weekend, with a total of six fights in different weight categories.
The event, which held at the MKO Abiola National Stadium’s velodrome, featured the nation’s top MMA talents who competed for glory from October 26 to 28.
Dedicated to the former Sports Minister, Sunday Dare, the championship celebrated his role in the approval of Nigerian Mixed Martial Arts Federation (NMMAF) as a national federation, which has led to a rapid rise in the popularity of the sport.
The championship also served as a platform to grade and recognise the country’s rising MMA stars and their officials, as well as, set a new benchmark for the sport in the region.
Speaking at the pre-fight press briefing in Abuja, NMMAF President, Henry George, described the African Fighting Championship’s (AFC) decision to hold the championship in Nigeria as a positive step.
He said: “Mixed Martial Arts is a new sport. But it has gone mainstream because of the acceptance. And Nigerians are in the forefront promoting the sport. We know about our superstars who are artists, we know about people like this one, and many other fighters”.
“We have inspired a lot of youth. And our youth are naturally strong. And this is a sport that has welcomed a lot of fighters from across the world. We talked about judo, karate, taekwondo, and all that. So, we have a lot of fighters who are motivated and ready to fight.”
The 10 fighters at the championship were Bitrus Jeb Philemon (A.K.A the African Spartan), who faced Dany The Great in a lightweight co-main event, and Osoba Pelejah, fondly called the bridge, who battled with Abdul Razac
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