Do Santos defeats Emmanuel Nworie in the AKO 9 main event to win the championship. In a night packed with heavy hits and heart, AKO 9 ended with an unforgettable fight — Jean “The Black Panther” Do Santos defeats Emmanuel “Walking Machine” Nworie in the very first round to claim the AKO Lightweight Championship.
The African Knockout Championship (AKO) hosted its 9th tournament series, AKO 9, and it was a night to remember.
The event took place at the Pistis Conference Center, Lagos, where fighters from across African countries such as Nigeria, Cameroon, Kenya, and others came out to put on a show. The fight card featured a remarkable nine fights.
Headlining AKO 9 was the lightweight title bout between Do Santos and Emmanuel Nworie. It was an exciting night to remember as Do Santos battled with Nworie in the main event. Do Santos, known as “The Black Panther,” is a slick and powerful striker with 7 wins and 1 loss. His opponent, Emmanuel Nworie, aka “Walking Machine,” a relentless grappler who defeated Kingsley Ajunwa in AKO 8 via TKO, came prepared to claim another win.
Nworie made his entrance first into the Octagon. At the beginning of the fight, When the ref gave them the option to touch gloves, Nworie reached out — Santos refused. A clear message: “I didn’t come here to play nice.” With this behavior from Santos, one would have known he was fully locked in and wasn’t going to take anything easy with Nworie.
The fight started with Nworie making the first move by landing some punches, When the bell rang, Nworie brought the heat. He landed early shots and scored a takedown, keeping Santos pinned and uncomfortable. For a moment, it looked like the “Walking Machine” was going to walk right over another opponent.
Santos, on the floor struggling to get back on his feet, couldn’t because of Nworie’s pressure. But Santos had a plan. Trapped on the mat, he adjusted, wrapped his legs around Nworie like a python, and locked him in. It was very difficult for Nworie to make any further moves.
Both fighters remained in this position for almost a minute. The leg lock on Nworie was a bit too much, and he couldn’t hold on any longer. He tapped out while already being choked. Just a few minutes into the first round, Santos submitted Nworie.
Though it was a short fight that ended via round one submission which ended just seconds into the first round, it can’t be denied that Santos did a great job winning this belt. The way he bounced back and took charge of the fight, showing dominance, was still surprising. One would think Nworie had it in the bag with the way he started.
At the post-fight interview, Santos was asked if he had initially planned for an early finish. His reply was that he had been working relentlessly on strategies to fight, and with the help of his coach, he was able to execute it.
He mentioned that he’s sure he has fought everyone, and he’s so sure the belt is his and no one else’s — and that he’s definitely taking it back to Benin.
Honestly, no one saw that submission coming so fast — and that’s what makes MMA so thrilling. With this dominant win, Do Santos not only claimed the lightweight belt but also cemented his place as one of the most dangerous finishers in AKO history. There is no doubt that a new king reigns in the AKO cage
