Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) has officially been named the country’s top sport for 2025, following an explosive rise no one saw coming, surpassing football, boxing, and athletics.
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Less than a decade ago, MMA was just a fringe sport in Zambia, something reserved for a few passionate individuals training in makeshift gyms and watching YouTube tutorials for technique.
That changed slowly.
Rising from ground under the first executive led by ex MMA Zambia president Benjamin Bush to the level it is at currently.
MMA Zambia gained international recognition from the International Mixed Martial Arts Federation (IMMAF), developed athletes who now compete and win on the world stage.
At the centre of Zambia’s rise is a golden generation of fighters who have dominated the world stage.
Leading the pack is Miracle Chipito, who is not just the 2025 IMMAF Africa champion but also the current World number one in the Senior Flyweight Division, adding to the world championship title in 2024 and a first-round TKO win in Angola this year.
Then there’s Ken “The Takeover” Sekeletu, who made history by winning the Featherweight belt at the prestigious Extreme Fighting Championship (EFC) in South Africa.
With a clean 7-0 record, Ken is not just undefeated, he is currently untouchable.
Humphrey “King Cobra” Mulenga is not far behind, storming the EFC and UAE Warriors circuits while Mutinta Mweene’s glory is still shining from last year as Zambia’s first-ever UNIFIGHT world champion.
Zambia is now ranked number 14 in the world in MMA, a jaw-dropping leap that has put a small but mighty nation firmly on the combat sports map, ahead of countries with decades more experience.
By George Musonda
Kalemba June 14, 2025
