Top-tier martial arts action will light up Lagos on Tuesday as the African Knockout Championship hosts its 12th edition, featuring nine blockbuster bouts at the Landmark Event Centre.

The all-night fight card will showcase some of the continent’s finest talents, including Nigeria’s unbeaten Yahaya Yahuzah, popularly known as Smile Strong, alongside Algeria’s Fouad Madani, Senegal’s Gasmire Diatta, and fighters from Angola, Morocco, Ivory Coast and other African nations.

Nigeria’s Yahuzah and Algeria’s Madani are set to clash in a middleweight showdown that will serve as the co-main event of the night.

Former UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman, who was present at Monday’s official face-off, assured fans of an electrifying evening, praising the quality and competitiveness of the fighters billed for AKO 12.

Other notable bouts include a contest for the interim title, where Senegal’s Gasmire Diatta will face Algeria’s Farouk Boudissa, while Nigeria’s Pelejah Osoba takes on Morocco’s Oussama Idrissi in a lightweight encounter.

In the bantamweight division, Ivory Coast’s Prince Mensah and Angola’s Clelio Diogo will square off in what promises to be a fiercely contested bout.

AKO 12 is expected to further cement Lagos’ growing reputation as a major hub for elite combat sports on the African continent. (PUNCH)