— The Defining Moment
ETFC 11 · 03.08.2026
Fight of the
century.
Forty thousand on their feet. A capital city silenced. The night Johnny MMA stopped Nikatehilina with a thunderous overhand right at 3:14 of Round 1 — and crowned the first ETFC Lightweight Champion in history.
The Lion
Johnny MMA
The Highlander
Nikatehilina
Upcoming Events
Next in the Cage
Upcoming12
May 24, 2026
ETFC 12: Reign of Fire
Johnny MMA vs. Sedo
Upcoming13
July 19, 2026
ETFC 13: Highland Wars
Dawit Haile vs. Abel Tesfaye
Upcoming14
September 27, 2026
ETFC 14: Night of Champions
Henok Asfaw vs. Samuel Bekele
Reigning Champions
Hold the Belt
ChampionLightweight
Johnny MMA
“The Lion”
ChampionStrawweight
Mekdes Tafesse
“Storm”
ChampionWelterweight
Dawit Haile
“Iron Fist”
ChampionMiddleweight
Abel Tesfaye
“Thunder”
ChampionHeavyweight
Yonas Tadesse
“The Wall”
ChampionFeatherweight
Henok Asfaw
“Ghost”
ChampionFlyweight
Tigist Worku
“Sting”
ChampionBantamweight
Robel Asgedom
“The Surgeon”
— Official Partners
2026 Season
The Pulse
Latest News
Johnny MMA Knocks Out Nikatehilina in Round One to Capture Lightweight Crown
In the most-watched bout in Ethiopian MMA history, Johnny MMA dropped Nikatehilina with a thunderous right hand at 3:14 of the very first round to claim the inaugural ETFC Lightweight Championship.
Read story →
ETFC 12 Headliner Set: Johnny MMA vs. Sedo for the Lightweight Title
Champion Johnny MMA puts his belt on the line against undefeated-in-ETFC contender Sedo at Millennium Hall on May 24. The Hammer gets his shot at The Lion.
Read story →
Mekdes Tafesse: Inside the Rise of Ethiopia’s Strawweight Queen
From Sheger Combat’s tiny gym in Addis Ababa to undefeated champion — how Mekdes Tafesse became the face of women’s MMA in East Africa.
Read story →
ETFC Expands: First-Ever Event in Bahir Dar Confirmed for July
The promotion takes the cage on the road. ETFC 13 will be the first international-level MMA event ever held in the Amhara region.
Read story →
Inside Addis Fight Club: Where Champions Are Forged
A behind-the-scenes look at the gym that produced Ethiopia’s first MMA world-class talent — and how it’s building the next generation.
Read story →
Inside the Cage
Be the first to know.
Fight announcements, exclusive interviews, and behind-the-scenes content — straight from the home of Ethiopian MMA.