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About Dambe Warriors League

Circuit Fight 02

Dambe (pronounced DAM-bay) Warriors League is home to the top Dambe fighters across the globe. Dambe Warriors League (DWL) aims to expand the reach of Dambe both nationally and internationally through the promotion and production of top-quality fights across Nigeria and abroad. 

The league’s structure and scoring have been simplified to make fights fair and consistent, using trained professional judges and referees to ensure warriors adhere to strict codes of conduct that prioritize the safety of the warriors without sacrificing entertainment for the audience.

DWL is a collaborative effort between its executives, local experts, warriors, and their fight houses. Dambe has a rich and vibrant history, and the time is now for DWL to bring these traditions to the world stage.

Dambe Warriors League Structure

Dambe Warriors League has three divisions:

  • Lightweight
  • Middleweight
  • Heavyweight

Each division will contain 6 warriors competing in a quarterly circuit. All warriors will fight every other warrior one time each quarter. 

At the end of each quarter, DWL will host a Dambe Superfight™ that pits the #1 ranked warrior in each division vs the #2 ranked warrior in a Championship bout. Dambe Superfights will also include three promotion fights, where the two top challengers in each division will fight to replace the #6 ranked warrior.

  • Circuit Fight 1: AB, CD, EF (Lg, Mid, Hvy)
  • Circuit Fight 2: AC, BF, ED (Lg, Mid, Hvy)
  • Circuit Fight 3: AD, BE, FC (Lg, Mid, Hvy)
  • CIrcuit Fight 4: AE, BC, DF (Lg, Mid, Hvy)
  • Circuit Fight 5: AF, BD, CE (Lg, Mid, Hvy)
  • Superifght: 1 vs. 2, 1 vs. 2, 1 vs. 2, Promo x 3

Warriors can be disqualified from DWL for steroid use, criminal conduct, missing fights for unexcused reasons, or any other reason DWL executives deem necessary to preserve the integrity of the league and the sport.

Dambe Warriors Fight Rules

  • Each Dambe fight consists of three timed rounds. All Circuit Fight rounds are two minutes. All Superfight rounds are two minutes. There is a one-minute break in between rounds. 
  • If a winner is not declared at the end of three rounds, there is a two-minute sudden death round in Circuit Fights or a three-minute sudden death round in SuperFights.
  • Three approved judges sit ringside to watch the fight. Each judge scores every round on a 10-point scale with the warrior who “won” the round most commonly scoring 10 and the other warrior scoring 9. A warrior wins a round by controlling the fight, landing better punches throughout, and exhibiting greater defensive skill.
  • If a warrior is knocked down or hurt enough to prompt a standing count from the referee, that warrior loses a point. In this scenario, if Warrior A wins the round and knocks down Warrior B, then the score for that round would be 10-8. Similarly, if Warrior A wins the round and knocks down Warrior B two times, then the score for that round would be 10-7, and so on and so forth.
  • If both warriors score the same number of knockdowns in the same round, then the warrior who won the round would win that round by one point. In this instance, if Warrior A and Warrior B both knock each other down two times in a round, and Warrior B is deemed to have won the round, then the score for that round would be 8-7 in favor of Warrior B.
  • Judges are also able to award a 10-10 round if the round is judged to be completely even.
  • Judges will deduct one point for behavior deemed unsuitable by DWL. Such behavior includes, but is not limited to:
  • A three-judge system is standard for DWL Circuit Fights and Superfights. 
  • The dispute resolution process in straight forward. If a warrior or coach is not satisfied with the officiating of any DWL sanctioned event, they may file a formal protest to info@dambewarriors.com citing specifically what their concerns are. The protest will be reviewed by DWL executives, and a final decision will be made by the committee within 5 business days.
  • Warriors are declared to have won the fight if the criteria below are met. Warriors may also be disqualified from fights and face DWL discipline should any of the below behavior be exhibited.

Winner Declared

  • Accumulated Points: At the end of the 3 rounds (and potentially two minutes of extra time) the warrior with the most points accumulated is declared the winner.
  • Knockout: If a warrior is knocked down and unable to get back up or regain their balance after a referee count of 5 seconds, the fight is over, and the other warrior is declared the winner by Knockout.
  • Technical Knockout: A referee may stop the fight.
    In such cases, the referee may declare the other warrior the winner by Technical Knockout.

Disqualification Declared

  • Attacking a Downed Opponent: Once a warrior is knocked down, it is considered illegal and unsportsmanlike to continue attacking them and can cause serious injury to the downed warrior.
  • Biting or Gouging: Any form of biting or gouging is considered illegal in Dambe, as it is considered a dishonorable and dangerous move.
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