Building Africa’s UFC: How a Nigerian Entrepreneur Is Taking African Combat Sports From the Village to the World with Maxwell Kalu

Episode 187 with Maxwell Kalu, Founder and CEO of African Warriors Fighting Championship (AWFC), the leading promoter of indigenous African combat sports. Maxwell Kalu brings a unique blend of cultural stewardship, business strategy, and visionary storytelling to this conversation about taking Africa’s ancient fighting traditions to the global stage. 

In this episode, he shares how AWFC is transforming Dambe, a centuries-old Hausa combat sport, into a modern spectacle with international appeal. From his first encounter with Dambe during a trip to Lagos to securing global broadcast deals with platforms like DAZN, Maxwell unpacks the journey of reimagining a deeply rooted tradition without losing its soul. 

He discusses the spiritual and cultural elements that make Dambe unlike any other combat sport, the role of digital media in building a fanbase across continents, and the challenges of scaling from sandpit arenas to global streaming.

What We Discuss With Maxwell

• The cultural and historical roots of Dambe, and how AWFC is preserving its authenticity while adapting it for modern audiences.
• The vision behind transforming Dambe from a regional tradition into a global sport.
• How AWFC’s partnership with DAZN is introducing Dambe to international audiences and positioning African athletes on the global stage.
• The significance of traditional elements like war drums, spiritual guides, and community storytelling in shaping the experience of a Dambe fight.
• Challenges and opportunities in scaling a combat sports brand from informal sandpits to a structured global platform with professional production and sponsorship.

Verto Corner
In this week’s Verto Corner, Natasha Biddell, Deputy Money Laundering Reporting Officer at Verto, addresses one of the most pressing challenges for banks and businesses today: fraud. 

As fraudsters develop ever more sophisticated tactics, from cyber attacks to elaborate scams, protecting financial institutions and companies has never been more important. 

Natasha explains the latest threats businesses should be aware of, why some risks are often underestimated, and the practical steps organisations can take to build stronger defences. She also highlights the importance of culture and staff training in shifting from a reactive to a proactive approach.

Access the Strategy Handbook

Did you miss my previous episode where I discus Connecting Farmers to Consumers: How PricePally Is Making Fresh Food More Affordable and Accessible in Africa? Make sure to check it out!

Connect with Terser:
LinkedIn – Terser Adamu
Instagram – unlockingafrica
Twitter (X) – @TerserAdamu

Connect with Maxwell:
LinkedIn – Maxwell Kalu
Twitter – @africanwfc

Discover how Verto’s solutions can help you accept payments, manage expenses, and scale with ease here