With the advent of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) as one of the fastest growing sports in the world, Nigeria is not left out as NMMAF (Nigerian Mixed Martial Arts Federation) maintains its pursuit for the development of the sport in Nigeria and aims to among be the national sports in the country. The big boost to the sport is the approval of the federation to do a demonstration in the 21st National Sports Festival, Delta 2022, coming up in Stephen Keshi Stadium, Asaba, from November 28 to December 10, 2022.
The decision of the sports ministry led by the Honorable Minister for Youth and Sports Mr Sunday Dare is a plausible one and big gratitude to him. Big gratitude to the stakeholders led by Amb. Henry George for their dedication to the goal of making MMA come to start in Nigeria as an amateur sport.
Kerrith Brown the IMMAF president will travel to Nigeria especially for this event as it’s the beginning of this historical journey.
The road to peace in any country will be to find ways to eliminate youth restiveness using sports. MMA is a sport many want to see; it entails a lot, it has components of Boxing, Karate, Wrestling, Jiujitsu, Taekwondo etc., which makes it a new sweet science. It’s not limited to the above martial arts, we believe that will accommodate skills in traditional arts like Nigerian local Wrestling which will bring more of our own contribution to the sport just like the Sambo wrestling gates.
It’s a time-based sport which will engage the youth thereby taking away their idleness; an idle mind they say is the devil’s workshop. MMA’s advantage as a sport is immense and will open up a very big chapter for the youth in this country. Apart from being an amateur sport which the various sports council in the 36 states of Nigeria will employ the athletes, it has the added advantage of taking them to professional MMA which is a career thing. We have seen the exploits of Israel Adesanya, and Kamaru Usman, this goes to show that here in the deep in Nigeria it’s a reservoir of people with such physical qualities. It’s needless to say that MMA will be in the Olympics in a very short time; Nigeria indulging in this at this time will be an early and timely start to sowing into this sport so that we can have a place on the world stage.
Mixed Martial Arts becoming a permanent sport in Nigeria will add to the options, variety they say is the spice of life. MMA here for Nigeria is the spice.
