Ocheme shines at PFL Africa's first event in Nigeria

Patrick Ocheme gave fans a night to remember by knocking out Cameroon’s Octave Ayinda with a powerful punch-and-flying-knee combo. This thrilling moment had the Lagos crowd cheering as the Professional Fighters League kicked off its first-ever event in Nigeria at the Eko Convention Centre on Saturday, according to PUNCH Sports Extra.

The co-main event ended spectacularly in the first round. Ocheme stayed calm in the early moments before unleashing a short check hook that hurt Ayinda. He then followed up with a double-clutch flying knee that hit Ayinda square on the jaw.

Ayinda fell against the fence, unconscious, and the home crowd erupted with joy for one of their own.

The finish capped off a historic night. The PFL’s first event in Lagos was advertised as the largest MMA event in West Africa. It featured finishes, controversy, and excitement across various bantamweight and lightweight tournament bouts.

In the main event, the atmosphere turned sour for local fans. Spain’s Ignacio Campos submitted Wasi “The Nigerian Jaguar” Adeshina in the first round. Campos, unfazed by the crowd, landed a hard leg kick that spun Adeshina around. He quickly followed with a right hand that knocked Adeshina down.

Campos took his back, applied a rear-naked choke, and forced Adeshina to tap out at one minute and 45 seconds. This was a shocking outcome for the crowd that had come to celebrate their fighter.

Nigerian bantamweight Raphael Uchegbu and lightweight Cornel Thompson both moved forward in their tournaments with unanimous decision wins. Karim Henniene continued his bantamweight run with a first-round technical submission against South Africa’s Thimna Mhlauli. Henniene locked in an anaconda choke so tight that referee Rich Mitchell stopped the fight after noticing Mhlauli’s arm go limp at two minutes and 23 seconds.

In the lightweight bracket, Senegal’s Demba Seck beat Brazil’s Jean Do Santos by unanimous decision, winning 30-27 on all scorecards. This victory secured his spot in the semi-finals alongside Ocheme, Thompson, and Hussain Al Kurdi. Al Kurdi submitted Abderrahman Errachidy with a rear-naked choke in the second round of their lightweight fight.

The bantamweight draw was completed when Dwight Joseph narrowly beat Alain Majorique by split decision. This outcome overturned Majorique’s pre-fight promise that the match would not last beyond the first round. Boule Godogo also stopped Dauda Rajabu by TKO in the third round of their bantamweight opener.

In the middleweight showcase, Cameroon’s Jordan Fongno defeated Nigeria’s Yahaya Yahuza by TKO in the second round. This stoppage received backlash from fans who believed Yahuza was still defending himself when referee Steven Momoh stepped in at three minutes and 35 seconds.

The women’s fights had different results. Zambia’s Shelda “Miracle” Chipito, who had shared her family’s lack of support for her career, delivered on her promise by submitting Egypt’s Haidy Ahmed with a rear-naked choke in the second round.

Brazil’s Elisandra Ferreira, an Invicta FC atomweight champion moving up in weight, submitted Nigeria’s previously undefeated Juliet Ukah with an armbar in the second round. Ukah protested vigorously to referee Steven Momoh, but her pleas were ignored as Ferreira wagged her finger. The Lagos crowd, though disappointed, did not support Ukah’s protests.

Ocheme, however, made sure the night belonged to Nigeria. After his win, the Lagos-based fighter danced for the crowd. This moment perfectly captured the spirit of the PFL’s debut in Africa and gave Nigerian MMA its standout moment of the evening.