Tanzania’s Rashid Mlegelo strengthened his case for a place in ANZA MMA’s first championship fight after extending his unbeaten run in the promotion with another first-round victory in Nairobi.
Mlegelo stopped Uganda’s Kennedy Serunyange by technical knockout in the featherweight bout at ANZA MMA Pro Nights 3, held on Saturday on the rooftop of Village Market in Nairobi.
His victory was one of two secured by Tanzanian fighters on the night, with Chris Tibenda also producing a quick finish against Uganda’s Farouk Ogwal in the flyweight division. Tibenda forced Ogwal to submit to an arm submission in less than a minute in the opening fight of the eight-bout professional card.
But it was Mlegelo’s victory that carried greater significance ahead of ANZA MMA’s next event.
The promotion’s founder, Peng Chen, has announced that official championship belts will be introduced at the next professional event in December, opening the way for the organisation’s first title fights.
Mlegelo has now won all three of his ANZA MMA Pro Nights appearances, making him a leading contender for the inaugural featherweight crown.
He previously defeated Justin Okot and Jai Chilufya by rear-naked choke in the promotion’s first two events before adding Serunyange to his list of victories.
The latest win therefore leaves Mlegelo with a perfect record in the promotion as ANZA MMA prepares to move into a new phase of its development.
Pro Nights 3 featured 16 fighters from Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Angola, Madagascar and South Sudan across eight professional bouts. Remarkably, every fight ended inside the first round, underlining the attacking nature of the card.
The event also reinforced ANZA MMA’s growing role as a platform for professional mixed martial arts fighters from East and Central Africa.
For Tanzania, the night ended with a clean sweep, as both Mlegelo and Tibenda finished their Ugandan opponents inside the opening round.
The two fighters credited their coaches, training partners, families and Tanzanian supporters for helping them prepare for the event.