Featherweight fighter Jackiel Ayana, known as the Smiling Assassin, excited MMA fans in Abuja at Akalaka Spirit of the Warrior 009.
The fight night, called Battle of the Mystic Sword, had seven matches at the 21 Arena, National Council for Arts and Culture, on October 31.
Ayana won the Mystic Sword in the main event. He submitted veteran Victor “Benue Boy” Dooga with a rear naked choke in the first round. He also grabbed the awards for best fighter and submission of the night.
In the co-main event, Casmir Junior improved to 3-0 with a strong submission win over Daniel Appah in the welterweight division. The 26-year-old performed well all through the fight.
Exciting Fights
The night began with a women’s catchweight bout. Bekefula Tarilayefa moved to 3-0 after winning by split decision against debutant Blessing Ejike.
The lightweight fight between David Ezekiel and Joseph James had more excitement. The two had fought to a draw at the last Akalaka event in April, and fans wanted a rematch.
Both fighters started aggressively, but the Abuja-based Ezekiel, nicknamed The Badger, won by technical knockout in the first round.
Michael “The Hero” Dawodu, in his second fight at Akalaka, narrowly defeated Uchejim Onyeka by split decision in a striking match. He had loud support from female fans.
More Action in the Cage
In the light heavyweight division, Micheal Emmanuel faced a tough first round before choking out Ambrose Godwin with a rear naked choke. This win brought his record to 1-1. The 23-year-old was a hot topic among the crowd afterwards.
Abdulkareem Nasirudeen, known as the Black Wolf, completed the card by improving to 3-0 after first-timer Aliyu Yusuf withdrew from their bout.
Each fighter entered the cage wearing traditional attire, showing respect for their ancestral war clans. A mixed-gender exhibition boxing match between Ininfon Ekong, the Woman Pharaoh, and Confidence Ameh also got the crowd excited.
This match was a first in Nigeria, and Ekong won by unanimous decision after three rounds.
The organiser, Dr Ebere Bernard, is dedicated to developing MMA at the grassroots level in Nigeria.
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