Nigeria, Cameroon, Egypt, and five other countries are set to battle again at the ninth edition of the African Knockout (AKO) Championship in Lagos on June 13, 2025.
 
The AKO, which is the continent’s foremost mixed martial arts championship, will kick off at 6 p.m. and feature a lineup of elite fighters from across the continent in a spectacle billed as Africa’s ultimate fight night.
 
AKO9 will feature 18 fighters from Nigeria, Angola, Kenya, Cameroon, Egypt, Ghana, Benin, Burkina Faso, and Togo, all vying for glory in the cage. Among the highlight matchups are the featherweight fight between Egypt’s Mohamed Essam and Kenya’s Ouhsummer Ali Abad and Angola’s Clelio Diogo’s battle with George Itumo of Kenya in the bantamweight division.
 
Nigerian fighters will feature prominently on the card as Damilare Abdulrahim is set to take on Cameroon’s Styve Ngono in a light heavyweight battle, while Mahmud Ibrahim of Egypt squares off against Nigeria’s Fabian Texas in a middleweight bout.
 
In a much-anticipated women’s bantamweight contest, Nigeria’s Doose Terlumun will go head-to-head with Reine Kevine Kengni of Cameroon.Other matchups include Abdul Razac Sankara of Burkina Faso against Nigeria’s Daniel Iwuoha (lightweight), Andre Mukisi of Angola versus Togo’s Fred Kudzlele (featherweight), and a light heavyweight fight between Nigeria’s Richard Muzaan and Israel Mano of Burkina Faso.
  
Jean-Do Santos of Benin will also meet Nigeria’s Emmanuel Nworie in another thrilling lightweight encounter.
 
According to the organisers, the AKO, Co-founded by UFC champion Kamaru Usman, will continue to shape the present and future of African MMA, spotlighting homegrown talent with unmatched intensity and production standards.