Nollywood Stars Storm Abuja As MMA World Marries Entertainment With Sports

Folalumi Alaran in Abuja

Veteran Actress, Patience Ozokwor, popularly known as Mama G, Kelvin Ikedubah, Chizzy Alichi, Untouchable Comedy, are among Nollywood celebrities who stormed the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja for a kickboxing game tagged: Celebrity Global Fight Concert taking place on Saturday February 24, 2024.

The Concert being organized by former Nigerian kickboxer and MMA star, Lovethpatra Ekufu, will feature celebrities from Nollywood, Comedians, popular DJs, and professional kickboxers fight against each solely for entertainment.

Speaking during a press briefing late Friday night ahead of the game, the senior special assistant on entertainment, art, culture and tourism to the Osun State governor, Laide Bakare has called on the federal government to explore the entertainment industry for boost the nation’s GDP.

Bakare made this call yesterday, at a press conference ahead of this year’s celebrity global fight concert in Abuja.

Bakare who is a nollywood actress explained that the entertainment industry has all it takes to reposition Nigeria’s economy, if properly harnessed.

She added that apart from boosting the nation’s economy through the sector it can also serve as life elongation therapy considering series of challenges bedeviling the country.

“Now that I am the special adviser to the governor of Osun State on entertainment, culture tourism, we will be doing more on exploring all angles of entertainments in driving forward the economy of the state and also partnering other states through the entertainment industry to make Nigeria a better place” she emphasized.

“Nigerians have gone through alot so we something like this to boost us by keeping us healthy and alive , she stressed.

On her part, a Former Nigerian kickboxer and MMA star, Lovethpatra Ekufu said she partner the Nollywood actors to launch the first-ever Celebrity Global Fight Concert.

Ekufu explained that the maiden edition which will be held tomorrow in Abuja is aimed at boosting the popularity of combat sports, showcasing the relationship between entertainment and sports as well as aiding grassroots development and tourism.

“Organised by Diamond Sports Promotion, the fight concert models after the American entertainment industry where movie stars are sometimes engaged in combat for entertainment and tourism purposes”

Speaking ahead of the event, the MMA star who added that looking at the likes of the Rock, and other Hollywood stars at the WWE, who still go to the cage or the boxing ring stressed that is the level of awareness she is trying to bring down to Nigeria.

“When we do this, it will promote grassroots sports development and amateur sports, and also create opportunities for tourism, we want our celebrities to be able to challenge any of their counterparts abroad, to a fight, that’s why it’s called a Global Fight Concert.”

Also speaking, a nollywood actress, Patience Ozokwor, popularly known as ‘Mama G’ emphasized it time to put differences aside and unite the country through the entertainment sector.