According to news outlets, the first-ever African Knockout Championship, which is being hosted by African Knockout and will be headed by Kamaru Usman, will begin on Friday (today) at SOL Beach by Box Mall in Oniru, Lagos.

Natasha Belousova, COO and co-founder of 54 Limited, the organization behind the championship, presented their vision for running the tournament as well as their goals for growth in Africa at a press conference held on Thursday.

“We have a dream to bring and develop MMA in Africa because Africa is rich in talents and metro diamonds in sports, and that’s why we decided to organise this platform and give the opportunity to talented and skilled athletes in Africa and Nigeria to participate, to rise, and to demonstrate their skills in Africa and around the world.

“This is just the start, we are starting slowly. This year we’re starting the championship, which consists of five events; three regular-season events, one semifinal, and one final in December, where we’ll crown the first African MMA champions. Next year, we plan to expand it to eight events in more African countries, and that is the platform that will give African athletes chances to showcase their skills and move forward. ” she said.

Additionally, Belousova explained to reporters how they intend to provide African boxers with an opportunity to compete on major stages, adding, “We’re helping them to make their MMA careers in sports professional so they can partner with the top promotions. Our partner, Kamaru Usman, reached the top level of his career, and we want to discover more Usmans, more Israel Adesanya, and more Francis Ngannous here in African countries and then build their careers up.”

She also complimented Nigeria as the "heart of Africa," citing that as the rationale for the tournament's inaugural edition's location there. “There are many reasons, first of all, the first MMA African Champion is Kamaru Usman, he’s Nigerian, another champion in the UFC is Israel Adesanya, both Nigerians. Nigeria is the biggest country, Nigeria has the biggest population, Nigeria has the biggest potential, and Nigeria is the heart of Africa.”