It means the NMMAF will be the official governing body for the sport, meaning there will be less issues with governance disputes for MMA.

At Nigeria's National Festival of Sport last month, MMA was a demonstration sport.

International Mixed Martial Arts Federation (IMMAF) President Kerrith Brown attended the demonstration event, joined by NMMAF President Amb Henry George and vice-president Mario Wanny.

"This is a dream come true," said George. 

"For over five years we have been working to see this historic moment. 

"The approval of NMMAF by the Sports Ministry is a significant step to pave the way for more MMA champions in Nigeria. 

"I, therefore, call on all stakeholders in the country to embrace the IMMAF syllabus, grading systems, and coach and officials licensing systems for their growth in the sport.

"On behalf of the Board, I would like to sincerely appreciate the honourable Minister of Youth and Sports Development Sunday Dare for keeping his promise. 

"I want to especially thank IMMAF President Kerrith Brown and the IMMAF Board of Directors for their great support. 

"I would also like to show our appreciation to IMMAF Director of Member Relations Gosha Malik, who worked tirelessly to see this historic moment."

Brown, George and Wanny met with the Minister of Youth and Sports Development Dare to discuss potential recognition during the Festival in December, which ultimately ended successfully.

The NMMAF was founded in 2014.

Nigeria has some of the best-known African MMA fighters in the world - such as Kamaru Usman and Israel Adesanya.