The arena was packed on Friday night in the upscale Lekki neighbourhood of Nigeria's bustling commercial capital, Lagos.

Eighteen fighters from eight African countries were slugging it out before thousands of cheering mixed martial arts (MMA) fans.

It was the ninth instalment of the African Knockout Championship, an MMA fight league that started off in 2020 as a reality television show in Lagos as the Covid-19 lockdown waned in Nigeria.

The formal championship started in May 2023 and has since hosted fighters from 18 countries, the chief operating officer of African Knockout, Ryan Fayad, told AFP.

While football remains king in the west African country, combat sports such as boxing and wrestling have enjoyed moderate success and produced continental and world champions in the past.

Traditional 'Dambe' boxing has held audiences spellbound for years, especially in the northern region of the country.

But the exploits of Nigerian-born Israel Adesanya and Kamaru Usman, former UFC middleweight and welterweight champions, respectively, are spurring........

© International Business Times