The Professional Fighters League made its Nigerian debut on Saturday night. PFL Africa brought exciting mixed martial arts action to the Eko Convention Centre in Lagos.
Fans filled the venue as fighters from Nigeria and other countries fought for tournament spots and regional pride. It was a night to remember for the sport in Africa.
While Nigerian fans cheered for some impressive performances, the night also brought both joy and disappointment for local fighters.
Adeshina’s homecoming ends in disappointment
The main event featured Nigeria’s Wasi “The Nigerian Jaguar” Adeshina facing Spain’s Ignacio “Nacho” Campos in a featherweight bout. This was the first main event for PFL Africa in Nigeria.
Adeshina got off to a strong start, taking Campos down early and getting loud cheers from the crowd. But Campos quickly regained his footing and started to take control.
A well-timed knee from Campos opened the way for him to lock in a rear-naked choke, leading to a first-round submission victory. Adeshina’s record dropped to 10-4, while Campos improved to 8-2 after a big win in Africa.
Ocheme steals the show
If the main event was a letdown for fans, the co-main event made up for it in a big way.
Nigeria’s Patrick “Star Boi” Ocheme delivered one of the night’s highlights with a stunning first-round knockout of Cameroon’s Octave “The Bantu Warrior” Ayinda in their lightweight tournament opener.
Ocheme found his rhythm early and delivered a flying knee after a check-hook sequence that ended the fight quickly, sending the crowd into celebration. This win improved Ocheme’s record to 9-1 and secured his place in the lightweight tournament semifinals.
Bantamweight Contenders emerge
The bantamweight tournament also showcased some exciting performances.
Algerian-Canadian fighter Karim Henniene kept his unbeaten record alive with a quick first-round anaconda choke submission against Thimna Mhlauli. Henniene now stands at 7-0 and is seen as a top contender.
Raphael Uchegbu had one of the best performances of the night, winning all three judges’ scorecards 30-27 against Edson Machavane.
In other bantamweight action, Dwight Joseph won a close split decision over Alain Majorique. Boule Godogo also secured a semifinal spot with a dominant ground-and-pound stoppage of Dauda Rajabu in the third round.
Lightweight Tournament heats up
The lightweight tournament continued to evolve as Demba Seck outclassed Jean Do Santos for a unanimous decision and secured his spot in the semifinals.
Hussain Al Kurdi followed him by winning via rear-naked choke submission against Abderrahman Errachidy in the second round.
Nigeria’s Cornel Thompson also moved on, improving his record to 12 victories with a tough unanimous decision win over Aureo Cruz.
Showcase bouts deliver drama
The showcase bouts added more excitement to the night.
Brazil’s Elisandra Ferreira handed Nigeria’s Juliet Ukah her first career defeat with an armbar submission in the second round of their women’s strawweight match.
In the middleweight fight, Jordan Fongno broke Yahaya Yahuza’s eight-fight winning streak with a flurry of punches that led to a second-round TKO.
Earlier, Shelda Chipito showed great determination by overcoming an ankle injury to submit Egypt’s Haidy Ahmed with a rear-naked choke.
Light heavyweight Styve Ngono capped off the night with a convincing unanimous decision win over Richard Muzaan.
PFL Africa heads to Morocco
After a successful debut in Lagos, PFL Africa will continue its inaugural season on 10 October in Casablanca, Morocco. The event is set to showcase some of Africa’s best MMA talent along with established stars, as the league aims to grow world-class mixed martial arts across the continent.
Main Results
Ignacio Nacho Campos (8-2) defeated Wasi Adeshina (10-4) via submission (rear-naked choke) at 1:45 in round 1
Patrick Ocheme (9-1) defeated Octave Ayinda (7-2) via knockout (flying knee) at 3:17 in round 1
Karim Henniene (7-0) defeated Thimna Mhlauli (5-1) via submission (anaconda choke) at 2:23 of round 1
Cornel Thompson (12-3) defeated Aureo Cruz (3-1) via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Jordan Fongno (5-1) defeated Yahaya Yahuza (8-1) via TKO (punches) at 3:39 of round two
Raphael Uchegbu (11-2) defeated Edson Machavane (7-2) via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Elisandra Ferreira (10-2) defeated Juliet Ukah (9-1) via submission (armbar) at 1:39 of round two
Hussain Al Kurdi (3-0) defeated Abderrahman Errachidy (5-2) via submission (rear-naked choke) at 1:23 of round two
Dwight Joseph (16-3) defeated Alain Majorique (6-2) via split decision (27-30, 29-28, 29-28)
Demba Seck (11-3) defeated Jean Do Santos (9-3) via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Boule Godogo (5-2) defeated Dauda Rajabu (4-2) via TKO (ground and pound) at 2:42 of round 3
Styve Ngono (8-1) defeated Richard Muzaan (6-4-1) via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Shelda Chipito (2-0) defeated Haidy Ahmed (2-2) via submission (rear-naked choke) at 4:49 of round two.
For one night, Lagos was the heart of African MMA. And based on Saturday’s fights, PFL Africa’s future looks just as exciting as its debut.
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