From strapping on gloves in village arenas in in northern Nigeria, Dambe, a traditional Hausa combat sport is not set for its global debut with the help of international investors, a Hollywood heavyweight, and one of the biggest names in sports streaming.
A lagos based company, African Warriors Fighting Championship (AWFC), is responsible for repositioning this centuries-old form of boxing for the global stag. For the past five years, AWFC has been building a structured league around the raw and fast-paced fighting style.
In 2024, AWFC attracted the attention of Silverbacks Holdings, a Mauritius-based investment firm with a track record of successful bets in African fintechs like Flutterwave. Silverbacks has now backed the fighting league in a move that could transform Dambe into one of Africa’s most valuable sports exports.
“We’re witnessing a cultural product with global appeal. People already love combat sports. UFC, PFL, boxing — these formats prove there’s a huge appetite. Dambe offers something authentic and rooted, but with the same adrenaline, ” said Ibrahim Sagna, the executive chairman of Silverbacks in a recent interview.
Silverbacks will be writing more than just the cheques, they will also be bringing in their expertise provided by Sanford R. Climan, who is a member of their advisory board.
Climan wjho is a former senior executive at Universal Studios and producer of the Oscar-winning The Aviator has committed to investing personally in AWFC. He brings a deep understanding of media, storytelling, and the global entertainment ecosystem — the kind of experience that could shape Dambe’s transformation into a global media property.
But perhaps the biggest leap came just a few weeks ago, when AWFC announced a major content partnership with UK-based streaming giant DAZN — a platform that already hosts elite fighters like Anthony Joshua, Canelo Álvarez, Katie Taylor, and Ryan Garcia.
The deal will bring Dambe bouts to millions of screens around the world, placing it alongside some of the biggest names in modern combat sports.
“DAZN’s backing is a game-changer,” said Maxwell Kalu, AWFC’s founder and CEO in a recent interview on the deal with DAZN. “We’ve already built a community with 900 million views across our channels and partner platforms. But now we’re not just on social media — we’re on a global platform that streams the best fighters in the world. That puts Dambe in the same arena as the elite.”
Since launching in 2019, AWFC has signed over 300 fighters from across Nigeria, professionalized fight training and safety protocols, and secured sponsorship. But its ambitions have always gone beyond sport. Kalu, a former footballer, sees Dambe as a cultural movement — one that blends African heritage with modern sports business models.
“Dambe is storytelling. It’s identity. It’s community,” Kalu said. “The fighters represent towns, traditions, and histories. And we’re showing the world how that can be powerful — and profitable.”
The move mirrors a broader trend across West Africa, where traditional sports are finding new life through media and investment. In Senegal, the traditional wrestling sport Laamb has evolved into a national obsession, supported by brands and television deals. In Cameroon, UFC star Francis Ngannou has launched an African MMA league in partnership with the Professional Fighters League and Canal+, aiming to reach 8 million homes across the continent.
Sagna believes Dambe is poised for similar success. “It touches something ancient — and that emotional connection matters,” he said. “Look at the Roman coliseums. That desire for visceral, physical storytelling is timeless. We’re just bringing it into the modern age — responsibly, and at scale.”
For Silverbacks, this investment is part of a deliberate pivot into African sports and entertainment. The firm’s past exits from startups like Flutterwave and LemFi yielded an average 11x return on investment. That windfall is now being redeployed into cultural ventures with long-term upside.
As Dambe’s fighters sharpen their fight skills and fans prepare for the next bout, one thing is clear: the world is now watching.
