The 1st Sunday Dare Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) National Championship will kick off today at the iconic Velodrome, Moshood Abiola National Stadium Abuja, with a total of six fights on the card.
The groundbreaking event is dedicated to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s special adviser on public communication and national orientation, Chief Sunday Dare, in celebration of his instrumental role in the approval of NMMAF as a national federation, paving the way for MMA’s explosive rise in Nigeria.
According to the organisers, the fight is not just any championship; but a battle for legacy and a major milestone for Mixed Martial Arts in Nigeria as it will
showcase the NMMAF board’s commitment to embedding MMA deeply across all six geo-political zones of the country.
The event will also a platform to grade and recognize Nigeria’s rising MMA stars and officials, setting a new benchmark for the sport in the region.
The highly anticipated MMA national championship will feature 12 fighters from host Nigeria, Cameroon and Burkina Faso in fierce battles that will keep spectators alike thrill through out.
The 10 fighters are Bitrus Jeb Philemon (A.K.A the African Spartan) will square up against Dany The Great in lightweights Co Main-event.
Osoba Pelejah, fondly call the bridge will battle Abdul Razac (Sankara Burkino Faso) another lightweights Co Main-event.
Octave Tiphaine Ayinda (the Bantu Warrior will slug it out with Ozooma Orji in the featherweight category, while Victor Felix Vs Jeremiah Akpan will battle in welterweight category.
Nani Chima (Young Nightmare) will take on Emmanuel Christian in the light heavyweight category.
Speaking at the highly tense pre-fight press conference yesterday in Abuja, Osoba Pelejah – The Bridge – from Oyo State, vowed to teach his challenger, Abdul Razac from Burkino Faso a bitter lesson.
Responding, Abdul Razac, described Pelejah as a woman, saying he will retire him from the mixed martial fight on Saturday at the Velodrome of Moshood Abiola National Stadium.
The president of Nigeria Mixed Martial Arts Federation (NMMAF), Henry George, described the initiative by the African Fighting Championship (AFC) in staging the championship in Nigeria as a positive step.
He reiterated the commitment of NMMAF under his leadership to the development of fighters in the grassroots, saying the Mixed Martial Arts Federation has been recognised and has now birthed the existence of the Federation in Nigeria.
