Two Kenyan fighters join Usman Kamaru's AKO Championship

Two Kenya’s top Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) athletes Ouhsummer Ali Abad, known as “Ninja Turtle” and George “The Maverick” Itumo have officially signed with Usman Kamaru’s African Knockout (AKO), and will be making their debuts later this month.

AKO, Africa’s leading mixed martial arts promotion co-owned by Nigerian UFC legend Kamaru, stands as the continent’s premier MMA platform, captivating audiences across Africa and beyond.

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The duo, out of the Nairobi Jiu-Jitsu Pro MMA team, are set to make their highly anticipated debut and major milestone on 13 June at the Pistis Conference Center in Lagos, Nigeria.

With all formalities now complete, both fighters are currently in intensive training camp in Nairobi, preparing for the fight night, set to involve 18 fighters from across Africa.

Among the nations represented will be: Kenya, Nigeria, Angola, Benin, Cameroon, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Togo and Egypt.

"Signing with AKO is a great opportunity to show Africa and the world the level east african MMA reached in the past few years,” Ali Abad said of the announcement.

“The plan is to dominate the African MMA scene before moving into the biggest world leagues like PFL and UFC,” Itumo added.

Historically, no East African fighter has claimed victory inside the AKO cage, and the feat represents Kenya’s rise in the martial arts scene, which has seen a remarkable rise in 2025, driven by a dedicated team of fighters from Nairobi Jiu-Jitsu Academy and One Tribe BJJ.

The team has delivered standout performances across Uganda, Egypt, and Qatar.

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At the AJP Tour Africa Continental Jiu-Jitsu Championship held in Cairo in February, Team Kenya emerged as the top-ranked African team, securing an impressive 13 medals, six of them being gold.