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.