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Akalaka Spirit of the Warrior: Ephraim vs Yahaya
Transcript
00:00 [MUSIC PLAYING]
00:03 [MUSIC PLAYING]
00:32 Welcome back to the heavy hitters, the professional MMA
00:36 right here at the Spirit of the Warrior MMA Championship
00:40 with Tubb, Battle of the Gladiators.
00:43 Remember, it is coming to you live at the Mussol Center
00:45 on the Conleaguer's Shell Hall, to be exact.
00:48 So right now, let's get into the professional events.
00:52 Those guys are ready.
00:54 Those ladies are ready.
00:56 So the question is, are you ready to actually get
01:00 your heart pumped through your rib cage,
01:03 your heart might escape through your hip cage?
01:05 Because these women, these men, these guys,
01:09 I know them inside out.
01:11 They are bringing fire into the cage.
01:13 So we'll have our next set of fighters
01:18 that will be in the middleweight category.
01:25 Age 29 years, weighing 84 kilograms,
01:30 with a reach of 1.74 meters.
01:34 Professional MMA record, one win, no loss.
01:39 He is also a star in kickboxing, wrestling.
01:43 Ladies and gentlemen, representing
01:47 our number of states, introducing none other
01:50 than the big guy, Ifrem Oluna.
01:54 [APPLAUSE]
01:57 All right, we'll have our next set of fighters.
02:05 Ifrem Oluna, aka the big guy, is already in the cage.
02:10 But again, we need to step down.
02:12 Referee Paul Ume, next to step down for referee,
02:20 Gleitis Okegbe.
02:22 He's about to mount the cage.
02:24 Put your hands together for him.
02:25 [APPLAUSE]
02:29 All right.
02:30 Now let's introduce Ifrem Oluna as opponent.
02:39 He weighs 84 kilograms, with a reach of 1.7 meters.
02:48 Making his debut in mixed martial arts MMA,
02:53 started in wrestling, representing the federal
02:58 capital territory, FCT Abuja.
03:00 Ladies and gentlemen, please put your hands together
03:03 for Yahya "Smile" Strong Yahuza.
03:10 [APPLAUSE]
03:14 [MUSIC - IFREM OULUNA, "SMILE"]
03:17 [APPLAUSE]
03:22 [MUSIC - IFREM OULUNA, "SMILE"]
03:26 [MUSIC - IFREM OULUNA, "SMILE"]
03:30 [MUSIC - IFREM OULUNA, "SMILE"]
03:33 OK.
03:59 OK.
04:00 The first professional fight of the night
04:03 is about to get underway.
04:05 You can see referee Gleitis Okegbe trying
04:07 to make sure all the judges around the cage are ready.
04:10 But right now, joining me on the commentary is Dirty South,
04:13 Juan Owens.
04:15 How you doing, my brother?
04:17 I'm ready, brother.
04:18 OK.
04:19 Let's go to fight.
04:23 Fighting from the red corner is Yahuza Mohammed.
04:29 And fighting from the blue corner is Ifrem Ounaya.
04:35 Nice job by Ifrem.
04:37 Excellent kick by Mohammed.
04:42 They're going kick for kick.
04:44 [INAUDIBLE]
04:47 [INAUDIBLE]
04:51 [INAUDIBLE]
04:54 Excellent takedown defense.
05:19 [INAUDIBLE]
05:23 Whoa.
05:44 Another excellent low kick by Mohammed.
05:46 [INAUDIBLE]
05:49 You know one thing, Dirty South, it
06:07 appears both fighters are trying to size each other up
06:10 kind of a thing.
06:11 Fighters are testing each other.
06:12 Yeah, testing each other.
06:13 Measuring.
06:14 This is the tactics of experienced fighters.
06:17 They don't just run at each other.
06:20 You all are seeing a high level technical match right now.
06:25 Whoa, Yahuza Mohammed appears to be the aggressive-- whoa,
06:28 that was a huge right hand coming from Ifrem Ounaya.
06:31 Wow.
06:31 Whoa, another big right hand coming from Ounaya.
06:40 Ifrem, the big guy.
06:43 Yahuza Mohammed.
06:44 Ifrem's been looking for that overhand right.
06:46 It's getting closer each time.
06:47 Ifrem is taking the war to his opponent, definitely.
06:55 He's aggressive right now.
06:56 Taking the war, taking the battle to his opponent.
07:00 But again, as I said earlier, you need to be careful.
07:03 He might just walk straight into a punch, and that's au revoir.
07:05 You'll be slipping on the canvas.
07:08 Mohammed's been landing excellent low kicks.
07:10 Excellent.
07:11 Long, long run.
07:13 All right, everyone give it up for these guys.
07:15 Give it up for these guys.
07:16 [APPLAUSE]
07:20 So how can we get to the first round?
07:27 Close one, right?
07:28 I think Mohammed might have done a little more damage
07:32 with the leg kick.
07:34 Absolutely.
07:35 But very close.
07:36 Very, very close.
07:37 No major impact, but I think Mohammed's leg kicks
07:41 might have given them the edge.
07:42 Absolutely.
07:43 That means, you know, at times when Mohammed was actually
07:46 throwing the kicks, somehow it might tenderize
07:48 the legs of his opponent.
07:50 And that could be problems for Ifrem Onwuna, right?
07:54 That affects their mobility.
07:55 Absolutely.
07:56 We call it putting money in the bank.
07:57 He just does that.
07:58 It can yield dividends later in the fight.
08:02 Ifrem had excellent takedown defense.
08:04 Very, very good takedown defense.
08:05 Wonderful.
08:06 Great takedown defense by Ifrem.
08:08 So round two is about to get underway.
08:10 Remember, this is--
08:12 [BELL RINGING]
08:13 Round two is underway.
08:15 Three rounds of three minutes each.
08:19 Mohammed fighting from the red corner.
08:22 Ifrem Onwuna fighting from the blue corner.
08:27 Whoa, those leg kicks you talked about, still planning.
08:30 But again, it appears Ifrem knows this,
08:32 and that's why he's coming in with some punches.
08:34 Remember, he's wary of those leg kicks.
08:36 He can't take too many of those.
08:37 He's bouncing back very good.
08:38 You see his hand is coming down a bit.
08:42 Whoa.
08:42 Excellent, excellent strike.
08:45 Right hand, big, big right hand.
08:47 All right, three rounds, eight rounds, last five minutes.
09:01 Right now, we are entering round two.
09:03 Those leg kicks coming through from Mohammed.
09:05 Yahaya.
09:10 Very evenly matched fight by these guys.
09:12 Excellent fight.
09:13 Good tactics.
09:14 Ifrem looking for the body shots.
09:22 Crazy, crazy, I mean.
09:30 Whoa, huge right hand by Ifrem.
09:32 I told you that overhand right is getting closer.
09:34 Yeah, it is getting closer, definitely.
09:36 It is getting closer.
09:37 Another one, another one.
09:39 He's got to set it up.
09:40 Landed flush, definitely landed.
09:41 Whoa, those right big hands, jeez.
09:48 Those hands are just punishing.
09:50 You can hit a wind on that one.
09:52 Excellent.
09:52 Another one.
09:53 Great defense by Yahuza Mohammed.
09:56 Good job.
09:56 He saw that one.
09:57 He saw that one.
09:58 Another heavy, heavy low kick by Mohammed.
10:03 Heavy, I can see the thigh of Ifrem.
10:06 I can see some swelling.
10:09 Yeah, I can see that.
10:10 I can see that.
10:12 Multiple leg kicks repeatedly.
10:16 Whoa, and a big one by Mohammed.
10:18 But again, Ifrem comes in with some great combination
10:20 to repel him.
10:22 Whoa.
10:23 Excellent exchange.
10:25 Oh, good stiff jab by Mohammed.
10:27 Very good.
10:28 Very, very nice stiff jab.
10:31 These guys are heavy hitters.
10:35 I'll tell you that, are heavy hitters.
10:36 Heavy.
10:37 Those punches, I could even hear the impact from here.
10:39 I could hear the impact.
10:42 The sound, crazy.
10:44 Those lower kicks again.
10:52 Another good low kick.
10:55 Guys are swinging wild a little bit.
10:56 Both guys respecting each other's power.
11:02 As you can see, these are two very muscular, powerful guys.
11:07 Whoa.
11:08 Excellent.
11:10 Whoa.
11:10 Ifrem's been looking for that overhand.
11:12 He's finally finding a home.
11:13 Yes.
11:13 Another one.
11:14 The right hand, it's just raining down.
11:18 Raining down.
11:19 Another one.
11:20 Excellent.
11:21 It's just raining down.
11:22 Whoa.
11:23 But that one misses.
11:24 Yahuza Mohamed.
11:28 Mohamed timed that one and tried to come in for the clinch.
11:30 Absolutely.
11:31 Excellent tactics.
11:32 Excellent tactics.
11:33 The very evenly matched fight.
11:35 I love the striking offense being put together
11:41 by these guys.
11:43 I'm not seeing really any grappling, any wrestling
11:46 attributes.
11:46 But again, I've seen the huge striking offense
11:49 from both fighters.
11:49 I mean, great, great content that we are seeing right here.
11:52 You can see those jabs coming through from Ifrem Owunoya,
11:56 the big guy.
11:58 Whoa.
11:59 Good circling.
11:59 Where are those right hands coming from?
12:03 Where are they coming from?
12:06 The coach is telling him to just get into him.
12:09 Mohamed's showing good defense, circling away
12:10 from that right hand.
12:11 He's doing a good job circling away.
12:14 These guys got to get a little more active.
12:17 It's a very close fight.
12:19 You guys got to get a little more active.
12:20 Both fighters showing extreme confidence.
12:33 Good movement.
12:35 You see, we're late in the second round.
12:37 Now the guy's breathing hard.
12:38 These guys are in incredible shape.
12:40 Absolutely.
12:40 I mean, the cardio is crazy.
12:42 The cardio is absolutely crazy.
12:43 Because, I mean, they've been fighting
12:45 for the past five minutes.
12:46 And they're still down there, still strong.
12:49 Neither one of these guys breathing hard.
12:51 Oh, another heavy low kick.
12:53 And he tried to come back with the hook.
12:55 Whoa.
13:00 Whoa.
13:00 Ifrem again with that overhand.
13:01 The striking offense is great.
13:08 Great spectacle we are witnessing right here.
13:10 Excellent skills these guys are showing.
13:12 Excellent.
13:12 Round of applause.
13:14 [APPLAUSE]
13:17 Another very, very close round.
13:22 What did you think about that one?
13:24 Yeah, I think it was so close.
13:26 But again, I was witnessing the huge right hand coming
13:29 through from the big guy, Ifrem Owunna.
13:31 I mean, huge, huge one.
13:33 But again--
13:34 I thought Muhammad won the first round.
13:36 I thought Ifrem may have edged the second one because
13:38 of control.
13:39 He was moving forward.
13:40 Yeah.
13:41 And he landed his overhand a little bit.
13:43 I think it's one to one on the unofficial scorecards going
13:46 into the third round.
13:47 But what I can tell--
13:48 Anybody's fight.
13:49 Anybody's fight.
13:50 Regardless of what the officials say, right now,
13:52 it's anybody's fight.
13:52 Anybody's--
13:53 It's a close fight.
13:53 I agree.
13:54 All right, you all give it up for this third round.
13:55 Give it up for these guys going into the third round.
13:58 Round three of our kickstarter.
14:00 Round three, on the way.
14:01 Ifrem Owunna, AKA the big guy, fighting from the blue corner
14:08 up against Yahya Muhammad, fighting from the red corner.
14:14 So who wants it more right now?
14:16 Maybe one round to one.
14:18 But either way, it's very close.
14:19 It's anybody's fight right now.
14:21 Excellent hook.
14:22 Excellent hook by Muhammad.
14:24 Good, stiff jab by Ifrem.
14:26 Good, stiff jab.
14:28 Oh, he found a home for that overhand right.
14:30 But Muhammad kept him honest with that knee.
14:34 This is the final round.
14:35 It is the make or break round.
14:37 So whatever you're doing, you must pick up your points,
14:40 or you can floor your opponents and end the fight.
14:43 So this is the round that will decide who could be the winner.
14:46 Because you said it's a one-one situation, right?
14:48 I believe it's one to one.
14:49 One to one, right.
14:50 OK.
14:50 Very close.
14:51 Whoa.
14:52 Very close.
14:52 That right hand, how come Muhammad isn't seeing that?
14:56 He's looking for that home.
14:58 Muhammad is showing good defense.
15:00 He's rolling with it.
15:00 Whoa!
15:01 That rocked him!
15:03 I heard him.
15:03 Jeez!
15:04 Another heavy low kick.
15:05 Big retaliation.
15:06 And another overhand.
15:07 Whoa!
15:09 This fight is the story of the overhand right
15:11 versus the outside leg kick.
15:13 The leg kick was crazy.
15:17 [INAUDIBLE]
15:17 [INAUDIBLE]
15:18 [INAUDIBLE]
15:18 [INAUDIBLE]
15:19 [INAUDIBLE]
15:19 [INAUDIBLE]
15:20 [INAUDIBLE]
15:20 [INAUDIBLE]
15:21 [INAUDIBLE]
15:21 [INAUDIBLE]
15:22 [INAUDIBLE]
15:22 [INAUDIBLE]
15:23 [INAUDIBLE]
15:23 [INAUDIBLE]
15:24 Yes.
15:24 [INAUDIBLE]
15:25 [INAUDIBLE]
15:25 [INAUDIBLE]
15:26 That leg kick was something else.
15:28 It was huge.
15:29 It was huge.
15:29 It rocked Ephraim--
15:31 Ephraim Onwunaya, AKA the--
15:32 Another overhand right by Ephraim.
15:34 By Ephraim.
15:34 Bailey Graves.
15:35 Jeez!
15:36 He's looking for that.
15:37 He's looking for that.
15:38 He's finding a home.
15:40 Excellent pressure.
15:43 Muhammad going back to the well with that low kick.
15:45 Oh, good take down!
15:46 Take down!
15:47 Excellent take down.
15:48 Oh my word!
15:50 Double leg take down by Yahya!
15:54 Oh my word!
15:56 The chug, the punch is coming through!
15:58 Referee's watching!
15:59 The punch is coming through!
16:01 It's raining down!
16:02 Referee's watching!
16:03 This has to end!
16:05 End of it!
16:06 Oh!
16:07 [INAUDIBLE]
16:07 [INAUDIBLE]
16:08 [INAUDIBLE]
16:08 [INAUDIBLE]
16:09 [INAUDIBLE]
16:09 [INAUDIBLE]
16:10 [INAUDIBLE]
16:10 [INAUDIBLE]
16:11 [INAUDIBLE]
16:11 [INAUDIBLE]
16:12 [INAUDIBLE]
16:12 [INAUDIBLE]
16:13 [INAUDIBLE]
16:13 [INAUDIBLE]
16:14 [INAUDIBLE]
16:14 [INAUDIBLE]
16:15 [INAUDIBLE]
16:15 [INAUDIBLE]
16:16 [INAUDIBLE]
16:16 Oh my word!
16:19 What a striking clinic put up by Yahusa Muhammad!
16:26 From nowhere!
16:28 Double leg take down.
16:29 Where did it come from?
16:30 Muhammad times an excellent take down.
16:32 He waited for Ephraim to throw the overhand again.
16:35 Dove in.
16:36 I still thought Ephraim was going to finish himself,
16:38 but he still was [INAUDIBLE]
16:40 Excellent, excellent fight.
16:42 Very closely, evenly matched.
16:45 I don't think so.
16:46 I don't think Ephraim was actually defending himself,
16:47 because Ephraim was a little bit lifeless, emotionless.
16:50 Yeah, he was hurt.
16:52 So I think it was a nice call by the referee.
16:54 Good call by the referee.
16:55 Good call.
16:56 [INAUDIBLE]
16:56 No problem at all.
16:58 But these guys, these fighters are going to show up.
17:00 They have a lot of heart.
17:01 Absolutely.
17:02 Let's get in the official confirmation.
17:07 We know who actually won, but again,
17:08 we need to actually sign the papers that the judges are
17:11 throwing around.
17:12 So right now, we give you the winner.
17:14 And the winner by split decision is none other than Yahya
17:20 Muhammad!
17:21 [MUSIC PLAYING]
17:30 Stand up!
17:32 Stand up!
17:33 Stand up!
17:35 Stand up!
17:36 I was built to be the best, number one and nothing less.
17:42 For the champion, stand up.
17:45 Stand up.
17:47 Stand up.