.jpg)
Kenyan duo handed chastening defeats in African Knockout (AKO) debut
Reading Time: 2min | Sat. 14.06.25. | 16:42
The pair were chasing East African history having joined Usman Kamaru's MMA promotions
Kenya’s top Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) duo Ouhsummer Ali Abad and George Itumo did not have the debut of their dreams after suffering defeats in their respective African Knockout (AKO) bouts in Lagos, Nigeria on Friday, 13 June.
Follow our WhatsApp channel for more news
The pair, who made history by making it to Africa’s leading Mixed Martial Arts promotion co-owned by Nigerian UFC legend Usman Kamaru, had been poised to etch their names in East African record books, only to meet stern opposition in the night event at Pistis Conference Centre.
.jpg)
Itumo - also known as ‘The Maverick’ - was the first to grace the AKO cage, only to suffer defeat to Angola’s Clelio Diogo in the bantamweight division.
The Maverick, in white and black shorts, was dominated by his counterpart, who notably scored a double takedown in quick session to hand the Kenyan a unanimous decision defeat.
Ali Abad - also known as ‘Ninja Turtle’ - was next in line in the second fight of the evening, but was taken out in the first round by a fierce Chukwumerie Okoli in his home turf.
Abad, also in white and black shorts, was taken to the canvas before Okoli delivered a big right-handed blow to end the featherweight contest in just 1:29 of Round One.
That soiled the duo’s quest to become the first fighters from East Africa to claim victory in the AKO cage, but still a valuable lesson going forward.
Their participation on the flipside all but stamped Kenya’s rise in the martial arts scene, which has seen a remarkable spike in 2025, driven by a dedicated team of fighters from Nairobi Jiu-Jitsu Academy and One Tribe BJJ.
Overall, the fight night brought together fighters from Kenya, Nigeria, Angola, Benin, Cameroon, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Togo and Egypt.
.jpg)
