If there are two things Akonne Wanliss loves in this world, it’s Star Wars and Oktagon MMA. So, with that being said, I decided to put him to the test and see just how much he really knows about his specialist subjects.
With formidable fighting skills forged in the fire of countless training sessions with UFC Champion Leon Edwards, the born-warrior can destroy anyone who dares set foot in the cage with him. However, his mere ability to throw punches and kicks is the least of his opponents’ worries, as it turns out he’s a self-proclaimed ‘Master of the Force’.
Akonne Wanliss is one of Oktagon MMA’s biggest stars
In his last outing, ‘The Jedi’ walked to the cage dressed as Darth Maul, and produced a spell-binding performance before launching Jaffa Cakes to his adoring fans. And on November 4 at the AO Arena in Manchester, the prospect will go head-to-head with the βThe British Slayer’ Jakub Bahnik in a collision MMA enthusiasts can’t afford to miss.
However, while he always exudes an admirable sense of composure on fight night, in the moments before the quiz commenced, he undeniably felt the nerves β especially when I revealed the stakes.
Should he score five or more out of ten, he’d earn the prize of the century β Jaffa Cakes.
As I revealed the sweet treats, Wanliss stared at them, open-mouthed, as if a mystical aura surrounded them.
With his eyes as wide as the distance from Land’s End to John o’Groats, he made an excitable noise, beaming: “I’m dribbling. Sheesh.”
However, should he lose, the punishment would be nothing short of devastating, as not only would he miss out on his favourite snack, but he’d also have to take home a Jar Jar Binks Lego figure.
In a moment that lasted a lifetime, he stared at the toy with a blank expression before, muttering, in the words of Jar Jar Binks: “Mesa no like that.”
Akonne Wanliss takes on the Star Wars X Oktagon Quiz
So, with the tension at its peak and the powers of not just the Force but Oktagon promoter, Pavol Neruda, by his side, with his lightsaber in hand, the quiz began.
Hitting the ground running, Wanliss got off to a brilliant start, correctly answering that Oktagon legend Karlos Vemola goes by the nickname ‘The Terminator’ and that Boba Fett’s dad is called Jango. However, he had to search the back catalogues of his brain to remember which reality TV show Jake Quickenden won.
After taking a second to gather his thoughts, he confirmed it was, in fact, Dancing On Ice. With an overwhelming sense of happiness engulfing his entire being, the MMA star whizzed his lightsaber around, screaming: “Shout out to my mum for that one.”
Having given three consecutive correct answers, it seemed the Force was on Wanliss’ side. But question four brought him crashing back to Earth. After I asked him what species Chewbacca was, he went into meltdown, starting, very peculiarly, to make Jar Jar Binks noises.
While I questioned whether Wanliss had gone insane, he managed to muster the response: “They live underwater.”
Upon my revelation that Chewbacca is a Wookie, the Birmingham brawler realised his mistake. He’d somehow confused the big furry giant with Jar Jar Binks, who, if you are interested, is a Gungan.
Akonne Wanliss recovers from his mistake
The charismatic character’s bad luck quickly went from bad to worse, as he failed to correctly answer where Shem Rock started his martial arts training. However, in a testament to his fighting heart, he refused to give up on his Jaffa Cakes.
Showcasing his formidable will to win, he quickly confirmed that the sentence: “Help me Obi-Wan Kenobi, you are my only,” finishes with, ‘Hope’. At this point, the quizzer knew he was merely a question away from making his wildest dreams come true.
And with a little clue, involving his pink hair, Wanliss announced that David Kozma has the record for the longest championship reign in Oktagon history and consequently won the prize of his life.
However, with three questions left to go, he was far from done; he wanted to put the icing on the cake β land a knockout, if you will.
Exhibiting his knowledge of the prequels, he knew full well that it was Mace Windu, who nearly defeated Darth Sidious before Anakin Skywalker intervened.
In addition, after sharing several weeks of filming on Oktagon Challenge: England vs Ireland, with the greatest reality star since Kerry Katona, Wanliss jumped for joy as he confirmed Hascen Neri Gelezi’s nickname is ‘Morning Breakfast’.
And to top it all off, he concluded the quiz by answering that Luke Skywalker met Yoda in the Dagobah System.
Akonne Wanliss wins the Star Wars X Oktagon quiz
Having scored an impressive 8/10, I gave the Jaffa Cakes to Wanliss, who held them triumphantly above his head, as if it were the Oktagon title he hopes to one day win.
With euphoria racing through his veins, he shouted: “Woohoo! I wish I could eat them now, but I can’t.”
Alas, while in the heat of camp, consuming the calorific food isn’t an option, it goes without saying that he’ll be tucking into them the moment his hand is raised in Manchester. Regardless, while the quiz was over, there was still one loose end to tie up β what happens to the Jar Jar Binks Lego figure?
Wanliss was quick to claim: “I’m definitely going to keep him.” And on that note, his time in the hot seat came to an end. However, with the likes of Brad Pickett and George Staines hot on his heels when it comes to Star Wars and Oktagon trivia, he knows it won’t be long before he’ll have to defend his crown.
Featured Image Credit: Oktagon MMA