Nigeria Steps into the Octagon: MMA Recognized as National Sport.

 

The Nigerian government has officially recognized Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) as one of the National Sports Federations under the control and supervision of the Federal Ministry of Sports and Youth Development. The approval, which was granted on January 11, 2023, was disclosed by the Minister of Sports and Youth Development, Mr. Sunday Dare, on Tuesday in Abuja. The recognition came after a series of interfaces between the Federation's Board and the Ministry, where the Federation agreed to abide by the Code of Governance of all National Sports.

Nigeria Joins the Fight Club

The Minister emphasized that the approval has given the Federation the responsibility to develop, regulate, and ensure the safety of MMA as a thriving sport in Nigeria, in line with global best practices. He also urged the Federation to work towards discovering and developing talents from the grassroots level and to take the game to world-class status by developing and maintaining strict rules and standards. It is worth noting that MMA is one of the world's fastest-growing sports, with an estimated 449 million followers worldwide. With the official recognition of MMA by the Nigerian government, the sport is expected to gain more popularity in the country and attract more enthusiasts.

By

Staff Writer.

Adesanya Sends a Message with Brutal KO of Pereira: I'm Still the King of the Middleweight Division

 

A spectacular second-round knockout was all Israel Adesanya needed to defeat his long-time nemesis Alex Pereira and exorcise a demon.

Adesanya suffered a controversial points loss to Pereira in their first fight, a kickboxing match. In their rematch, also in kickboxing, Adesanya was leading but was knocked out. In November 2022, in their first MMA clash, again Adesanya was ahead, but he was beaten in the final round.

On Sunday, on his fourth attempt, Adesanya, fondly known as The Last Stylebender, finally got his win over Pereira, and in stunning fashion with a knockout at minute 4:21 of Round 2.

At the end of the fight, Adesanya said he was “playing possum” against the fence, waiting for a moment to strike.

And when he struck, did he strike. It was a clean right hook from nowhere, and it stunned Pereira still. The next shot was another right hook to put down Pereira.

One hammer fist and the fight were waved off, but Pereira was already out cold after the second hook.

In the end, Adesanya made good on what was likely his last chance to beat Pereira and improved his MMA fight record to 24-2 (13-2 UFC), while Pereira (7-2 MMA) suffered his first loss in the UFC (4-1 UFC).

By Staff Writer.