Read about the thrilling Akalaka Spirit of Warrior MMA event in Nigeria, featuring exciting fights and standout performances. Discover the highlights and the fighter of the night.
| Bout | Winners | Losers |
|---|---|---|
| Yahuza ‘Smilestrong’ Yahaya vs. Christopher Moly | Yahuza ‘Smilestrong’ Yahaya | Christopher Moly |
| Jeb ‘Captain Hook’ Philemon vs. Pelaja Osoba | Jeb ‘Captain Hook’ Philemon | Pelaja Osoba |
| Terlumun Doose vs. Immaculata Nelson | Terlumun Doose | Immaculata Nelson |
| Octave Ayinde vs. Vincent ‘Iron Fist’ Ebenezer | Octave Ayinde | Vincent ‘Iron Fist’ Ebenezer |
The Akalaka Spirit of Warrior MMA event in Nigeria showcased thrilling fights and standout performances. Yahuza ‘Smilestrong’ Yahaya emerged as the fighter of the night, submitting Christopher Moly in the second round. Jeb ‘Captain Hook’ Philemon dazzled the crowd with a dominant display against Pelaja Osoba. Terlumun Doose extended her winning streak with a victory over Immaculata Nelson. Octave Ayinde delivered a crushing defeat to Vincent ‘Iron Fist’ Ebenezer. These were just a few of the thrilling moments from the event.
Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) in Nigeria took center stage in Abuja as the Akalaka Spirit of Warrior delivered the Battle of the Paikokun Mountain championship at the Wakanda Games Arena in Wuse Zone 5.
The highly anticipated international combat sports spectacle featured eight thrilling bouts, with five stoppages that left the crowd on the edge of their seats. Nigeria’s undefeated middleweight fighter, Yahuza ‘Smilestrong’ Yahaya, emerged as the fighter of the night after submitting his Congolese opponent, Christopher Moly, in the second round.
Accompanying Yahuza’s victory was a generous N1 million prize donation from the Vice President of Akalaka Spirit of Warrior, Engineer Christopher Nwokolo.
In other highlights of the event, Nigeria’s MMA poster boy, Jeb ‘Captain Hook’ Philemon, showcased his skills in a flamboyant performance, defeating Pelaja Osoba in the 75kg category. The Woman King, Terlumun Doose, made light work of debutant Immaculata Nelson in the women’s bantamweight division, while Octave Ayinde scored a crushing victory over Vincent ‘Iron Fist’ Ebenezer.
The action-packed evening, which lasted into the early hours of March 31, 2024, kicked off with a thrilling bout between debutant David Ezekiel and the more experienced Christopher Swande in the -65kg category. Ezekiel emerged victorious in a split decision.
The Praying Mantis, Stanford Ebere, survived a late rally from newcomer Felix Ncheta to secure a split decision victory. Abuja crowd favorite, Peter Onuh, stunned Dilichukwu Ohabuire with a technical knockout win in the third round of the 71kg class. Ephraim Onwuanyia also delivered an impressive performance, scoring a first-round TKO against Earnest Ugwuanyi in the middleweight division.
Jeb ‘Captain Hook’ Philemon returned to the cage in the -75kg class, delighting the crowd with a dominant display. Philemon overwhelmed Osoba with a barrage of ground strikes, securing a unanimous decision victory.
The most anticipated matchup of the night featured Yahuza against his Congolese rival, Moly. Both fighters engaged in a fierce battle for ground control, with Moly displaying aggression. However, Yahuza capitalized on an opportunity and locked in a rear naked choke, forcing Moly to tap out.
Moly’s corner immediately called for a rematch, and Dr. Ebere Bernard, the CEO of Akalaka Spirit of Warrior and Youth Director in the Nigeria Mixed Martial Arts Federation (NMMAF), granted their request.
The co-main event showcased an all-female bout, captivating the audience. The Woman King, Terlumun Doose, extended her winning streak to five with a dominant performance against debutant Immaculata Nelson. Doose overwhelmed Nelson with a relentless assault of ground strikes, prompting the referee to intervene and stop the fight.
The Nigeria vs. Cameroon main event concluded the night with a thrilling showdown. Cameroonian grappler Octave ‘The Bantu Warrior’ Ayinde proved to be too much for his Nigerian opponent, Ebenezer ‘Iron Fist’ Vincent. Ayinde’s ground and pound, combined with devastating elbow strikes, led to a TKO victory in the first round. Despite the loss, Vincent vowed to seek redemption in a potential rematch.
According to Dr. Bernard, the Battle of Paikokun Mountain MMA event aimed to raise awareness of the challenging security situation in Nigeria and promote peaceful coexistence among the country’s diverse ethnic groups.
