#55: African Warriors Fighting Championships w/ Maxwell Kalu

ASU Sports Business Podcast

There has been much talk of MMA as a sport across the continent, especially in recent time. A sport that has strong roots across Africa with traditional wrestling forms such as Dambe extremely popular in West Africa.

With the recent news of the Professional Fighters League launching in Africa in Q1 and leading athletes at the top of MMA such as Francis Ngannou, Kamaru Usman, Israel Adesanya & Dricus du Plessis.

In this episode, we have an insightful conversation with Maxwell Kalu, who is spearheading the growth of the African Warriors Fighting Championships. A growing tournament, currently in Nigeria, looking to take Dambe across the continent and develop the next stars of the continent.

Timestamps:

[00:00] Introduction and Welcome

[00:25] Exploring Traditional Wrestling and Dambe

[00:56] Guest Introduction: Maxwell Kalu

[02:47] The Cultural Significance of Dambe

[05:15] International Appeal and Growth

[07:39] Synergies with Global Combat Sports

[10:55] Strategic Plans for African Warriors

[13:25] The Genesis of African Warriors

[19:05] Commercial Milestones and Media Strategy

[28:31] Fighter Stories and Personalities

[33:05] Future Prospects and Call to Action

[35:34] Conclusion and Farewell

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