A fighter named “Coronavirus” steps into the sand right after sunset, stirring the red dust as his bare feet hit the rhythm of war behind him. Dumbé – the world's oldest and most continuous, combat art – demands spears and shields.
One fist was wrapped in a cola rope – previously soaking in resin and hardening – acted as a spear of lethal strikes, the other naked as a shield, the fighter replenishes the size of his opponent, holds his breath, and lands an accurate knockout hook within a minute. The Cano crowd erupts. He lifts his arms and lifts his chest as he recites the nickname given to him during the pandemic, where the audience is being spoken with adoration rather than fear. “They named me after the murderer,” he says between breaths. “Because I fight to spread fear.”
For fighters, glory is inseparable from obligation. Dumbé fighters usually earn between $20 and $500 per match. This is the total of the minimum wage (approximately $47) per month for Nigerian dwarves.
“Every time I pay, I buy the land and build a house for my mother,” he tells African businesses. His income also funds weddings for his sisters, tuition fees for Nie and Ne, and aging relatives' health care. In a country that works for weeks or months to save just a few of that over weeks or months, every knockout is the lifeline of the whole family.
Since this June, the British sports network Dazn has lived in more than 200 territories with the Championship (AWFC) Dumbé series fighting African Warriors. The 5 Event Series is based on the groundbreaking success of King of Dumbé in 2024. AWFC's first showcase pits UK debutant Luis Clayland into veteran Shagon Yellow. Yellow's second round stop frenzyed Kano's 10,000 fans, pulling millions online, and taking Danbe's position in the global battle phase.
Tradition meets the market where Danbe is rooted in Hausa Clearing in northern Nigeria. It is dusty sand in the open space of Dundari, under the lightning of the talking drum, and it rests on timing and accuracy. One clean blow to the head or torso can instantly end a moment. Shoulder strikes and grappling grips are ways to gain dominance in combat.
More than simple “boxing,” Dumbé combines rituals, raw athleticism and centuries of musical ceremonies into every knockout spectacle. Dazn broadcasts boxing from promoters such as Matchroom and Queensberry, and serves as a broadcast partner for the US-based Professional Fighters League (PFL) in Africa, but also incorporates Dambe Bouts into a paid subscription schedule along with soccer and boxing cards. The arrangement marks the initial partnership between Dazn and sports, bringing Dambe to position on a platform with 20m paid subscribers and approximately 300m active users per month.
Behind this shift stands Maxwell Kalu, a UK and Nigerian alumnus from Swansea University who spent years in London's PR world before the Lagos Uber driver reaffirms his plans. Under the flyover, he encountered a fighter.
“It had to be rooted in Nigerian heritage,” he recalls. Kalu spent months investigating conventional rules such as timed rounds, medical checks and safety protocols, and launched AWFC's first professional Dambe event in Kano and Katsina in 2017. What began as a grassroots effort has since evolved into a formal governance-regulated sport.
Internet sends Dambe Global
Digital vitality has fueled the rise in dumbbes. AWFC's YouTube channel boasts 36,300 subscribers and over 1,100 videos. According to DatarePortal, Nigeria itself has 107 million internet users (45.4% penetration) and 36.75m social media accounts. The clips of Savag knockouts and victory finishers spread within hours. In Brazil and the US (AWFC's second and third largest online markets), viewers will tune to showcase raw power and cultural ceremonies.
Earlier this year, Dazn highlighted its overhaul of its pay-per-view platform with gamification capabilities, real-time interaction tools and partnerships with key influencers to provide an immersive next-generation combat sports experience in Africa. Dazen says Dumbé's centuries of rituals, raw athleticism and knockout spectacles are perfectly in line with that vision.
The commercial background supports this momentum. According to the Business Research Company, the global combat sports product market was valued at $8.89 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach $95.4 billion in 2025, growing in a combined year of 7.2% per year. Meanwhile, according to the IMARC Group, the Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) equipment segment alone is estimated at $1.399 billion. When dumbé joins the mainstream combat sports ecosystem, manufacturers of gloves, protective gear, training equipment and branded products can benefit from increasing consumer demand from Dakar to Durban.
Scaling for broadcasting while preserving Dombe's heritage requires a delicate balance. The AWFC has officially worked with the state police and cultural ministries to formalize a set of rules that includes strict round times, prewar medical checks and ambulances on-site. The partnership has become a blueprint for expanding traditional sports without losing credibility, says Cal. Cal envisions Danbe as the cornerstone of Pan-Africa combat sports network. His plans spread across Nigerian borders, scouting Senegale's traditional wrestling and South African boxing circuits, building a continental league in diverse fields.
“We are creating Africa's largest combat sports platform,” he says. “Dumbe is our foundation, but the sky is at its limit.”
Dazzun Pitch for African Audiences
For Dazn, Dambe's debut is part of a broader multisport strategy in Africa. The platform, along with regional pricing and partnerships, has deployed a freemium tier to attract new users into the ecosystem, along with regional pricing and partnerships, to integrate DAZN content without disrupting existing subscriptions. These moves pave the way for Dazen to boost it with football, basketball, rugby union and more.
The sports environment in Africa is changing. With nearly half of the population under the age of 18 and smartphone penetration is surged, demand for high-quality sports content is more than ever before, says Cal. Niche sports like Dumbé are looking to attract mainstream attention as digital nomads, diaspora returnees and local fans mix global flavours with traditional culture.
“Every knockout clip is more than a viral moment,” he says, “it's a cultural bridge that connects Kano to the screens of Seoul and Sao Paulo. This is a contribution to Nigeria's combat sports and we're making it global.”
As Dazn's cameras light up the next Dambe match this June, fighters will enter a new arena where tradition meets technology and local warriors become global icons. All the punches and cheers echoed across northern Nigeria, continuing digital pulses on the corners of the world where we once knew nothing about dumbé. For the coronavirus and his peers, the art born in the ceremony proves that African sports can be redefine when governed and aired.
“I have a dream of becoming an AWFC World Series champion,” he says. “Dazun promotes dumbbes around the world, so keep watching.”
