ANZA MMA Pro Nights 3 delivered an explosive night of professional Mixed Martial Arts action in Nairobi, Kenya on Saturday, September 19 with all eight fights ending in the first round in a showcase of fast finishes, technical skill and high-level MMA action.
Held for the first time on the rooftop of Village Market, the third edition of ANZA MMA Pro Nights was the promotion’s biggest professional fight night to date, bringing together a larger audience of fans, celebrities, fighters, participating gyms, media and members of the growing MMA community from across the continent.
The event also welcomed Angola’s Demarte Pena “The Wolf”, the former EFC World Champion and ARES World Champion, as a special guest and referee. Pena is widely recognised as one of the pioneering figures in African MMA and remains an influential name in the sport on the continent.
The international eight-fight card brought together fighters representing Kenya, Angola, Uganda, Tanzania, Madagascar and South Sudan, further establishing Kenya as an important meeting point for the continent’s rapidly developing MMA scene.
The night was headlined by Kenya’s George “The Maverick” Itumo, who delivered one of the evening’s standout performances against Angola’s Jorge Correia in the bantamweight main event. Itumo secured victory by armbar, closing out an action-packed night with a technical submission in front of the home crowd.
Another major highlight was the professional debut of Angola’s Daniela Mandanji. The former World Champion and Angola’s 4-time National Champion wasted little time making her mark, submitting Uganda’s Rebecca Amongi by rear-naked choke in the flyweight contest. Mandanji entered the professional ranks with an impressive amateur pedigree, having won gold at the 2025 IMMAF Amateur World Championships.
The pace remained relentless throughout the card, with every bout ending before the second round.
ANZA MMA Pro Nights 3 official results:
- George Itumo (Kenya) defeated Jorge Correia (Angola) — Bantamweight Submission — Armbar
- Rashid Mlegelo (Tanzania) defeated Kennedy Serunyange (Uganda) — Featherweight TKO
- Brian Munyi (Kenya) defeated Cyplian Katumba (Uganda) — Featherweight TKO
- Kevin Odongo (Kenya) defeated Kasozi Umaru (Uganda) — Heavyweight TKO
- Alhassan Mosala (South Sudan) defeated Michael Olara (Uganda) — Middleweight TKO
- Tsinjo Rakotomaria (Madagascar) defeated Lawrence Mukiibi (Uganda) — Lightweight TKO
- Daniela Mandanji (Angola) defeated Rebecca Amongi (Uganda) — Flyweight Submission — Rear-Naked Choke
- Chris Tibenda (Tanzania) defeated Farouk Ogwal (Uganda) — Flyweight Submission — Rear-Naked Choke
ANZA MMA Pro Nights 3 honoured its standout performances of the night:
- Fight of the Night: Tsinjo Rakotomoria (Madagascar)
- KO of the Night: Kevin Odongo (Kenya)
- Submission of the Night: George Itumo (Kenya)
The live event and broadcast, which was also livestreaming on YouTube, was elevated by the expert commentary of Alex Holi, Joe De Bestt and Julio DeSouza (Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt).
During the event, ANZA MMA Founder Peng Chen took a moment to welcome the audience and reflect on the growth of the promotion before announcing another milestone for the professional series. He revealed that ANZA MMA will introduce official branded championship belts for its Pro Fight Nights, beginning with the promotion’s next planned event in December.
Peng Chen said, “Tonight is another important step for ANZA MMA and for the growth of professional MMA in Africa. We are building a platform where fighters can compete, develop and be seen, and the introduction of our branded belts is another step in building the identity and legacy of the Pro Fight Nights. We look forward to bringing them to the cage at our next event in December.”
The announcement comes as ANZA MMA continues to build its professional and amateur competition structure, keen on bringing the continent’s best in MMA.
The atmosphere reflected the increasingly strong relationship between MMA, sport, entertainment and culture in Nairobi, with ANZA MMA continuously providing a platform where the different communities unite for a convergence of entertainment, sports, culture and a celebration of African MMA talent. For the fighters, however, the focus remained inside the cage and the night delivered a world-class show from the opening bout to the main event.
From Chris Tibenda’s early submission of Farouk Ogwal to Itumo’s closing armbar victory, ANZA MMA Pro Nights 3 was characterised by aggressive exchanges, quick transitions, technical submissions and decisive finishes.
ANZA MMA has rapidly expanded its footprint through its professional and amateur events, creating opportunities for fighters from Kenya and across Africa to compete on increasingly visible stages while building on their records. The promotion has fast become one of Africa’s most prolific MMA platforms, attracting fighters from across the continent and building a growing reputation among athletes looking for opportunities to compete on the amateur or professional level.
ANZA MMA Pro Nights 3 brought together six nations in one card and demonstrated the depth of talent emerging from the continent, while also giving fighters an opportunity to compete in front of an increasingly engaged live audience. For Pro Nights 3, that vision was on full display: eight professional fights, six African nations and eight first-round finishes.
ANZA MMA Pro Nights 3 was presented by CHEZA CHEZA, with support from HustleSasa, Cashless, Trademark, Village Market, VMX, Anyiko Public Relations, Acai Oasis, YouC1000 and Otto Rentals.
ANZA MMA is Africa’s premier Mixed Martial Arts promotion and Kenya’s first licensed MMA promotion under the Kenya Oriental Combat Sports Federation. After hosting Kenya’s first professionally sanctioned MMA event in 2025, ANZA MMA has since produced and hosted multiple amateur and three professional events. Its events have featured elite fighters from Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Zambia, South Sudan, Madagascar, Angola and the Democratic Republic of Congo, drawing thousands of fans cumulatively and helping build a strong pathway for African fighters from amateur competition to the professional ranks.
