The African Warriors Fighting Championship (AWFC) has entered an exclusive partnership with DAZN, the London-based sports streaming service, to bring Dambe, Nigeria’s historic form of boxing, to a global audience. Under this agreement, DAZN will serve as the official worldwide streaming partner for the Dambe World Series, a five-event tournament where Nigeria’s top fighters compete against international contenders.
This partnership is a significant milestone in the global expansion of Dambe, a combat sport rooted in West African warrior traditions. While the sport has already amassed a dedicated following online, garnering over 15 million views on YouTube through AWFC’s broadcasts, DAZN’s vast reach could propel it to new heights, much like the UFC did for mixed martial arts. This follows AWFC’s 2023 collaboration with Stake, an online casino and global sports sponsor; Dambe’s first international partnership.
“Dambe is a sport with deep cultural roots and immense athletic appeal,” said Maxwell Kalu, founder of AWFC. “Partnering with DAZN allows us to introduce it to a global fanbase. We are confident that 2025 will be the year Dambe captures the attention of fans worldwide.”
Founded in 2018, AWFC has been instrumental in promoting and professionalizing Dambe to increase its global visibility. The organization made history in 2024 by featuring the sport’s first European competitor in its “King of Dambe” tournament. Building on that momentum, the Dambe World Series, set to begin in June 2025, aims to expand the sport’s international appeal.
Beyond broadcasting, this partnership could be a game-changer for Dambe’s commercial viability. AWFC hopes to leverage the exposure to attract sponsorship deals, merchandising opportunities, and a broader international fanbase. Dambe could transition from a regional tradition to a globally recognized combat sport.
“Global interest in combat sports has surged,” said Kalu. “Viewers today prefer bite-sized, action-packed content, which plays to Dambe’s strengths. The challenge now is raising awareness. Dambe has always had a strong, organic following, but it was a quiet sport. We are now elevating production standards to match its growing prominence.”
AWFC organizes fights across Nigeria through a network of partner arenas, drawing paying spectators from different regions. The matches, streamed online, have attracted audiences from countries like the U.S. and Brazil, which have growing Dambe fanbases, according to Kalu.
DAZN, often dubbed the “Netflix of Sport,” has over 20 million paying subscribers across 200+ countries and holds streaming rights to major sports, including boxing, football, and the NFL. In 2023, the company reported $2.8 billion in revenue, backed by investors such as billionaire Sir Len Blavatnik’s Access Industries.
By securing exclusive streaming rights for Dambe’s biggest events, DAZN is betting on the sport’s potential to captivate a global audience. For AWFC, the deal provides a vital platform to showcase the best of Nigerian combat sports on the world stage, paving the way for Dambe’s rise as an internationally recognized sport.
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