Bayelsa Dominates National MMA Championship, Sets Sights on Enugu Festival
By Jonah Fubara, YENAGOA –Â Bayelsa State has emerged overall champion of the 2nd Sunday Dare National Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) Open Championship in Yenagoa, outperforming 26 other states as more than 200 athletes competed for medals and national recognition ahead of the 2026 National Sports Festival.
The host state finished top of the medals table with 15 medals, comprising eight gold, three silver and four bronze, while Delta State came second with 12 medals, including five gold, four silver and three bronze.
Enugu State also secured 12 medals but settled for third place after winning three gold, six silver and three bronze medals.
Akwa Ibom State won three gold medals, while Imo and Lagos states claimed one gold medal each in a competition that provided athletes with a crucial opportunity to assess their strengths against national rivals.
Beyond the medals, the championship marked a significant moment for Nigerian mixed martial arts, with the sport set to feature at the 23rd National Sports Festival in Enugu State from November 27 to December 11, 2026.
The competition brought together athletes, coaches and technical officials from across the country, offering a glimpse of the talent pool and competitive intensity expected at the national festival.
At the closing ceremony in Yenagoa, Deputy Governor of Bayelsa State, Dr Peter Akpe, expressed satisfaction with the progress of MMA in the state, describing the championship’s outcome as evidence of Bayelsa’s growing strength in the sport.
Akpe, who disclosed that he had previously competed in mixed martial arts, said the performance of the athletes reinforced his confidence in the state’s medal prospects at the forthcoming festival.
He projected an ambitious gold-medal haul for Bayelsa, expressing confidence that the state could win 30 of the 32 gold medals available in MMA at the Enugu competition.
“I am elated that Mixed Martial Arts has been included in the 23rd National Sports Festival in Enugu. Let me thank the president and the grand patron for this laudable achievement. I am confident that Bayelsa will win 30 gold medals out of the 32 available in the sport, while other states will compete for the remaining medals,” he said.
The deputy governor congratulated the athletes for their determination and resilience throughout the championship and commended the President of the Nigeria Mixed Martial Arts Federation, Ambassador Henry George, and the federation’s Grand Patron, Chief Sunday Dare, for their roles in securing the sport’s inclusion in the National Sports Festival.
He added that the state government was committed to sustaining the athletes’ performances as preparations intensified for the Enugu games.
For Dare, the inclusion of MMA in the National Sports Festival represents a major step towards establishing the sport within Nigeria’s organised sporting system.
The Special Adviser to the President on Public Communications and Orientation said his ambition as a former Minister of Sports was to create an environment in which mixed martial arts could develop and gain national recognition.
He explained that efforts were made to ensure the federation fulfilled the necessary requirements, including payment of its outstanding dues for two years, to secure recognition as a national sports federation.
Dare commended the Bayelsa State Government for its commitment to sports development, noting that investment in sports could promote national unity, create opportunities for young people and contribute to wider social and economic development.
Earlier, George said Yenagoa’s successful hosting of the championship demonstrated Bayelsa’s capacity to stage major sporting events and strengthened its case to host the National Sports Festival in 2028.
He described the tournament as more than a medal contest, saying it provided an opportunity to showcase the development of MMA in Nigeria and the country’s growing presence in the sport.
Bayelsa State Commissioner for Sports Development, Dr Daniel Igali, said the championship offered athletes a valuable opportunity to test their abilities against competitors from other states before the national festival.
Igali explained that mixed martial arts combines techniques from different combat sports, making the championship an important platform for evaluating athletes’ readiness, technical abilities and competitive resilience.
He added that the event also enabled coaches, technical officials and other stakeholders to exchange ideas, strengthen professional standards and identify areas requiring improvement before the Enugu games.
For the athletes, the competition offered both a test of ability and an opportunity to build experience against some of the country’s strongest opponents.
Two gold medallists, Jason Maxwell and Benheart Elliot, separately described the championship as an important platform for showcasing their talents, gaining national-level experience and preparing for future international competitions.
With the Yenagoa championship concluded and Bayelsa leading the medal standings, attention now shifts to Enugu, where the state’s athletes will face a bigger test as mixed martial arts makes its debut on the National Sports Festival programme.
Bayelsa’s dominant performance has raised expectations, but the challenge ahead will be to translate its success on home soil into medals against the country’s best competitors at the national festival.
