{"id":1531,"date":"2026-04-27T21:06:30","date_gmt":"2026-04-27T21:06:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/quicknewsnigeria.com\/?p=1531"},"modified":"2026-04-27T21:14:22","modified_gmt":"2026-04-27T21:14:22","slug":"dawodu-shines-benard-dominates-as-abuja-mma-night-produces-multiple-winners","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/quicknewsnigeria.com\/?p=1531","title":{"rendered":"Dawodu Shines, Benard Dominates as Abuja MMA Night Produces Multiple Winners"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

April 27, 2026 (Agency Report)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Michael Dawodu delivered one of the standout performances of the night as he powered to victory alongside other top fighters at the Akalaka Spirit of the Warrior Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) event in Abuja.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The thrilling fight night, tagged \u201cBattle of Gwarinpa,\u201d<\/em> saw 16 fighters light up the cage at the 21 Arena, National Council for Arts and Culture, with contests across featherweight, bantamweight, lightweight and strawweight divisions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dawodu emerged as one of the biggest winners of the night, stopping Destiny Ekpo via second-round technical knockout (TKO) in the men\u2019s 66kg featherweight category. His composed yet explosive display drew loud cheers from fans, underlining his growing reputation as a force in the division.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In the headline bout, Emmanuel \u201cKnockout Machine\u201d Benard capped the night with a commanding victory over Yakubu \u201cBlack Scorpion\u201d Solomon, winning by unanimous decision after three gruelling rounds in the men\u2019s -61kg bantamweight division. The clash was widely adjudged the best fight of the night, earning Benard the best male fighter award.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI stayed focused and trusted my training. My opponent was strong, but strategy made the difference,\u201d Benard said after the bout.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He dedicated the win to his coach and supporters who travelled from Lagos.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI appreciate everyone who came out to support me. This victory is for them,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the co-main event, Victoria \u201cThe Hunter\u201d Uduak stamped her authority in the women\u2019s category, stopping Blessing \u201cChibok Girl\u201d Shettima by first-round TKO in the 65kg featherweight division to claim the best female fighter award.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Other notable winners also made strong statements on the night. Nasirudeen Abdulkareem dispatched Sunday George with a first-round TKO in the bantamweight category, while Balikis Quadri secured a submission victory over Cynthia Philips with a rear naked choke in round two of the women\u2019s strawweight bout.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Christopher Swande impressed with a clinical triangle choke submission over Cornelius Godpower, and Peter Onuh wasted no time in stopping Goodluck Opara via first-round TKO in their featherweight clash.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Joseph James and David Ezekiel, however, settled for a draw after an evenly matched lightweight contest, both scoring 74 points.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

President of Akalaka Spirit of the Warrior, Dr. Ebere Benard, said the event was designed to harness youth potential and promote discipline through sport.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe are using MMA as a tool to redirect young people from social vices and channel their energy into productive ventures,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis initiative continues to grow, giving fighters exposure and opportunities to compete at higher levels.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He stressed that martial arts go beyond competition, urging young people to embrace its core values.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBeyond the cage, martial arts teach discipline, respect and control, values urgently needed in our society,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe greatest victory is not over an opponent, but over anger, chaos and hatred within ourselves.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chief Executive Officer of Option A International, Idowu Olusareyo, commended the organisers for sustaining grassroots development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere is huge talent in Nigeria. Supporting events like this gives young fighters the exposure they need to succeed,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Also speaking, Abubakar Marwa of Marwa Self Defence praised the organisation and excitement generated by the event, describing it as a major boost for MMA in Abuja.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

The event also featured a major recognition moment as Dr. Benard was awarded a 7th degree black belt by the World Jidokwan Federation President from Korea, honouring over three decades of contribution to martial arts, youth development and global peace advocacy.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

April 27, 2026 (Agency Report) Michael Dawodu delivered one of the standout performances of the<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1531","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-sports"],"yoast_head":"\nDawodu Shines, Benard Dominates as Abuja MMA Night Produces Multiple Winners - 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