East Africa’s amateur mixed martial arts scene came alive on Sunday night as ANZA MMA Fight Night 008 brought together some of the region’s most exciting rising fighters for a high-intensity showdown at The Alchemist in Westlands. With athletes representing Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda and Italy, the amateur showcase delivered a packed card of explosive finishes, technical grit and regional pride, further cementing Nairobi’s place as a growing capital for combat sports.
The eighth edition of ANZA MMA’s amateur series drew a strong crowd of fight fans, combat sports enthusiasts and industry stakeholders, all gathered to witness East Africa’s next generation of MMA talent step into the cage. Fighters from gyms including Nairobi Jiu-Jitsu Academy, Mombasa Sharks, GAMMA Rwanda, Kigali BJJ, Guardian Uganda, Hardcore Gym, Tristar Gym Nairobi, Shadow Strikers and the Kenya Wrestling Team all featured on a card that highlighted the sport’s growing depth across the region.
Adding to the significance of the night was the presence of key figures from both sport and government, including representatives from the Ministry of Youth Affairs, Creative Economy and Sports, Felista Mugo, and Professional Fighters League Africa’s Daniel Kijo. Fresh off her dominant win at PFL Pretoria, Felista Mugo’s appearance underscored the momentum building around Kenya’s place on the global MMA stage and offered a powerful reminder of the opportunities now opening up for East African fighters.
Inside the cage, the action was relentless. Eight of the night’s nine bouts ended before the judges were needed, with submissions, TKOs and KOs setting the tone for one of ANZA MMA’s most electric amateur cards to date. The finish-heavy event reflected the aggression and intent of a new wave of fighters eager to make their mark.
In the featherweight main event, Samuel Laurian of Nairobi Jiu-Jitsu Academy delivered one of the night’s standout performances, submitting Rwanda’s Jonathan Ntakirutimana in a composed and commanding showing. The welterweight co-main event saw Italy’s Lorenzo Cardanelli, fighting out of Kigali BJJ, once again get the better of Kenya’s Amos Eboso by submission in a tense rematch that echoed their first meeting at ANZA MMA’s debut event in June 2025.
One of the fastest finishes of the night came from Shadrack Otieno, who wasted no time in locking in a rear-naked choke to dispatch Rwanda’s Aman Niyigena just 30 seconds into their lightweight contest. In the final fight of the main card, Uganda’s Shaffik Assuma claimed victory over Jared Otieno by disqualification in a fiery flyweight clash that brought the amateur card to a dramatic close.
Elsewhere on the prelims, Martin Mwanza stopped Djibril Binego by TKO in bantamweight action, while Steve Munyi earned a powerful TKO win over Kamya Pison in the flyweight division. Matthew Lwano delivered the only judges’ decision of the night with a composed bantamweight performance against Maina Morgan, while Eric Ngari scored a knockout win over Gordon Juma and Kennedy Adaki closed the early card with a featherweight submission over Eugine Oyugi.
With another successful amateur showcase in the books, ANZA MMA has already set its sights on the next chapter. The promotion’s next professional event is set for 6 June 2026 at The Broadwalk Mall, where some of Kenya’s top MMA names including Ouhsummer Ali Abad, Kevin Odongo, Georgie Itumo and Alhassan Mosala are expected to headline a regional card featuring fighters from Zambia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda and South Sudan.
As ANZA MMA continues to build a platform for elite competition and athlete development, Fight Night 008 was another strong signal that East African MMA is arriving with force.