Network DAZN prepares to dazzle world with Dambe

The fighter named “Coronavirus” steps into the sand just after sunset, his bare feet stirring red dust as drums pound a war rhythm behind him. Dambe – arguably the world’s oldest continuously practised combat art – demands spear and shield.

With one fist wrapped in kora rope – previously dipped in resin to harden it – to serve as a lethal striking spear, and the other left bare as a shield, the fighter sizes up his opponent, times his breath, and lands a precise knockout hook in under a minute. Kano’s crowd erupts. He lifts his arms, chest heaving, as spectators chant the nickname given to him during the pandemic – Coronavirus – spoken now with awe rather than fear. “They named me after a killer,” he says between breaths, “because I fight like the virus spreads its fear.”

For the fighters, glory is inseparable from duty. Dambe fighters typically earn between $20 and $500 per bout – sums that dwarf Nigeria’s ₦70,000 monthly minimum wage (about $47).

“With every payout, I buy land and build a house for my mother,” he tells African Business. His earnings also fund weddings for his sisters, school fees for nieces and nephews, and medical care for ageing relatives. In a country where many work weeks or months to save even a fraction of that, every knockout is a lifeline for entire families.

Starting this June, UK sports network DAZN will broadcast African Warriors Fighting Championship’s (AWFC) Dambe World Series live into more than 200 territories, bringing the spectacle to millions of potential fight fans worldwide. The five‐event series builds on the breakthrough success of 2024’s King of Dambe – AWFC’s inaugural showcase that pitted British debutant Luke Leyland against veteran Shagon Yellow. Yellow’s second‐round stoppage sent 10,000 fans in Kano into a frenzy and drew millions more online, ushering-in Dambe’s place on the global fight stage.

Tradition meets the market Dambe traces its roots to the Hausa clearings of northern Nigeria, where warriors once clashed with spear and shield. Contested on the dusty sand of the dandali open space, beneath the thunder of talking drums, bouts hinge on timing and precision: a single clean blow to the head or torso can end the match instantly. Shoulder strikes and grappling grips are ways to gain ascendency in battle.

More than simple “boxing”, Dambe fuses ritual, raw athleticism and centuries‐old musical ceremony into every knockout spectacle. DAZN – which broadcasts boxing from promoters such as Matchroom and Queensberry, and serves as the US-based Professional Fighters League (PFL) broadcast partner in Africa – will weave Dambe bouts into its paid subscription schedule alongside football and boxing cards. The arrangement marks DAZN’s first partnership with the sport and positions Dambe on a platform with 20m paid subscribers and roughly 300m monthly active users.

Behind this shift stands Maxwell Kalu, a British‐Nigerian graduate of Swansea University who spent years in London’s PR world before an Uber driver in Lagos rerouted his plans. Under a flyover he encountered fighters duelling to the beat of talking drums and knew no franchise could replicate that energy.

“It had to be rooted in Nigerian heritage,” he recalls. Kalu spent months researching customary rules – timed rounds, medical checks, safety protocols – and in 2017 launched AWFC’s first professional Dambe events in Kano and Katsina. What began as a grassroots effort has since evolved into a regulated sport with formal governance.

Internet sends Dambe global

Digital vitality has fuelled Dambe’s rise. AWFC’s YouTube channel boasts 36,300 subscribers and over 1,100 videos. Nigeria itself has 107m internet users (a 45.4% penetration) and 36.75m social‐media ac- counts, according to DataReportal. Clips of savag knockouts and triumphant finishers spread within hours. In Brazil and the United States – AWFC’s second‐ and third‐largest online markets – viewers tune in for the display of raw power and cultural ceremony.

In a briefing with African Business earlier this year, DAZN emphasised that it has overhauled its pay‐per‐view platform with gamification features, real‐time interaction tools and partnerships with leading influencers to deliver immersive, next‐generation combat sports experiences in Africa. DAZN says Dambe’s centuries‐old ritual, raw athleticism and knockout spectacle align perfectly with that vision – offering exactly the visceral, culturally authentic content DAZN is banking on to engage Africa’s rapidly growing digital audience.

The commercial backdrop supports this momentum. The global combat sports products market was valued at $8.89bn in 2024 and is forecast to reach $9.54bn in 2025, growing at a 7.2% compound annual rate, according to the Business Research Company. Meanwhile, the mixed martial arts (MMA) equipment segment alone is estimated at $1.39bn, says the IMARC Group. As Dambe joins the mainstream combat sports ecosystem, manufacturers of gloves, protective gear, training equipment and branded merchandise stand to benefit from rising consumer demand from Dakar to Durban.

Preserving Dambe’s heritage while scaling for broadcast requires a delicate balance. AWFC formalised its rule set – including strict round times, pre‐fight medical checks and on‐site ambulances – in coordination with state police and cultural ministries. This partnership has become a blueprint for scaling traditional sports without losing authenticity, says Kalu. Kalu envisions Dambe as the cornerstone of a pan‐African combat sports network. His plans exten beyond Nigeria’s borders, scouting Senegal’s traditional wrestling and South Africa’s boxing circuits to build continental leagues of diverse disciplines.

“We’re creating Africa’s largest combat‐sports platform,” he says. “Dambe is our foundation, but the sky’s the limit.”

DAZN pitches for African audience

For DAZN, Dambe’s debut is part of a broader multi‐sport strategy in Africa. The platform has rolled out a freemium tier to draw new users into its ecosystem, along with regional pricing and partnerships with local telcos and cable operators to integrate DAZN content without disrupting existing subscriptions. These moves pave the way for DAZN to boost its in football, basketball, rugby union and more – targeting Africa’s young, urbanised and digitally savvy population.

Africa’s sports landscape is transforming. With close to half its population under age 18 and smartphone penetration soaring, demand for high‐quality sports content has never been higher, says Kalu. As digital nomads, diaspora returnees and local fans mix global tastes with traditional culture, niche sports like Dambe are poised to capture mainstream attention.

“Every knockout clip is more than a viral moment,” he says, “it’s a cultural bridge connecting Kano to screens in Seoul and São Paulo. This is Nigeria’s contribution to combat sports, and we’re taking it global.”

When DAZN’s cameras light up the next Dambe bout this June, fighters will enter a new arena where tradition meets technology and local warriors become global icons. Every punch and cheer will echo beyond northern Nigeria, carried on digital pulses to corners of the world that once knew nothing of Dambe. For Coronavirus and his peers, it proves that an art born in ceremony can, when governed and broadcast, redefine African sport.

“I have a dream to become the AWFC World Series champion,” he says, eyes bright with that global promise. “DAZN promotes Dambe all over the world, so please keep watching.”