East Africa’s premier MMA promotion delivered a landmark night of combat sports on Saturday 6th June 2026, as ANZA MMA Pro Night 002 unfolded at Broadwalk Mall on Ojijo Road in Nairobi. Building on the sold-out success of its debut event in December 2025, the promotion once again packed the venue beyond capacity, drawing fans for a memorable night. What made the evening truly remarkable was something rarely seen in professional MMA where every single bout ended before the final bell. Nine fights, nine finishes, a feat that kept the crowd on the edge of their seats from the first bell to the last.
The card brought together fighters from six nations including Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Zambia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and South Sudan, reflecting the growing depth of talent emerging across the continent.
The home fans were given an early reality check when Uganda’s Justin Okot finished Kenya’s Lestie Masiga in the opening bout. Uganda made it two from two shortly after, with Lawrence Mukiibi submitting South Sudan’s Abednego Thon, before Zambia’s Batista Mende kept the finishing streak alive with yet another stoppage.
Attention then shifted to one of the most anticipated professional debuts of the evening. Nairobi Jiu-Jitsu Academy’s Alhassan Mosala stepped into the cage against fellow Kenyan Julius Osodo showing composure well beyond his experience level. He survived a competitive first round before closing the show with a ground-and-pound TKO in round two, making an entrance onto the professional scene will be remembered for a long time.
Brian Munyi of Chanuka Self Defence, who also serves as MMA Commissioner of the Kenya Oriental Combat Sports Federation, then brought the house down against Uganda’s Henry Kirangwa. After controlling the fight with repeated takedowns and measured cage work, Munyi seized his moment when Kirangwa surged forward. A slick throw set up a devastating finishing sequence and the referee had seen enough. The highlight-reel TKO earned Munyi the Knockout of the Night bonus and the celebration inside Broadwalk Mall was electric.
If there was one fight that captured the imagination of everyone in attendance, it was the heavyweight clash between Kenya’s Kevin Odongo and DR Congo’s Romain Kasase, a 118-kilogram powerhouse who came out swinging and visibly hurt Odongo in the opening exchanges. What followed was a masterclass in composure under pressure as Odongo weathered the storm, began landing his own heavy combinations and gradually took control of the contest. In the second round Kasase drew on his judo background to secure a takedown and advance to full mount, appearing to be on the verge of turning the tide entirely. What came next was extraordinary. Odongo escaped, took his opponent’s back and delivered a relentless flurry that brought the referee in to stop the contest. Music star Bien stepped into the cage to personally congratulate the victorious Kenyan, and the fight was rightly awarded Fight of the Night honors.
Tanzania’s Rashid Mlegelo and Zambia’s Jai Chilufya had already caught the crowd’s attention with heated exchanges at the pre-fight press conference and they more than delivered inside the cage. The featherweight contest was fast-paced and technically sharp, with both fighters exchanging on the feet and on the ground before Mlegelo secured back control and locked in a clean rear-naked choke. The finish earned him the Submission of the Night bonus and further cemented his reputation as one of the region’s most dangerous featherweights.
In the co-main event, Kenyan fan favourite George “The Maverick” Itumo faced DR Congo’s Kentos Boton in a closely contested bout that saw Boton show up with accurate striking and impressive cage defense throughout. Itumo’s relentless pressure proved to be the difference as he mixed body shots with well-timed grappling before unleashing a finishing flurry against the cage with under a minute remaining to seal the TKO win.
The main event was left to Ouhsummer Ali Abad, known to the fans as Ninja Turtle, who squared off with South Sudan’s Peter Busak in the featherweight headliner. Busak came to fight, showcasing all-around improvement and briefly gaining top position over the Kenyan star. Ali Abad’s elite BJJ credentials ultimately proved decisive as the brown belt swept his opponent, inflicted damage from the top and transitioned seamlessly into a shotgun armbar that forced the referee to intervene.
Broadwalk Mall came alive one final time, a fitting conclusion to a night that announced to the continent that East African MMA has well and truly arrived.
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