Dr Ebere Bernard, Chief Executive Officer of Akalaka, Spirit of the Warrior, on Sunday said he is committed to developing youths through organising Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) contests.
Bernard told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that Nigeria is blessed with abundant talent, but much more must be done to keep youths busy.
According to Bernard, Akalaka, Spirit of the Warrior, is an initiative aimed at keeping youths active and preparing them for national and international MMA Championships.
“I want to take as many youths as I can from the streets and develop them through MMA Championships where they can rise to international stars.
“It is capital intensive, but I am determined to invest my funds to give many MMA fighters a platform to improve their ratings and achieve global success,” Bernard said.
NAN reports that no fewer than 22 warriors clashed in several weight categories for the male division at the just-concluded event in Lagos.
Four female fighters also competed at the event, which was tagged ‘Battle of the Hood’ and held at the Lukmon Oluomo Sports Complex, Awodi-Ora, Ajegunle, Lagos.
The main card of the fight night was headlined by Kabiru ‘Hulk’ Adeniran clashing with Atiti Fidelis, with Adeniran overpowering Fidelis in a first-round technical knockout win.
In the female category, Immaculata Nelson, fighting in the flyweight division, dominated two fights and emerged the best fighter of the night.
She told NAN she had worked hard for the fights, engaged in serious preparations and was very thankful for the opportunity to showcase her talent. (NAN)
