Ocheme, Uchegbu Lead Nigerian Charge at PFL Africa Semi-Finals in Morocco

By Dorcas Francis Koji

Nigerian mixed martial artists Patrick Ocheme and Raphael Uchegbu will represent the country at the Professional Fighters League Africa semi-finals when the tournament heads to Morocco on October 10.

The highly anticipated event will take place at the Mohammed V Sports Complex in Casablanca, with organisers billing it as the biggest mixed martial arts event in Morocco’s history.

The semi-finals will determine the fighters who advance to the PFL Africa Finals later in the year, adding further significance to the Casablanca card.

The event will also mark the PFL’s first show in North Africa, as the promotion continues its expansion across the continent.

PFL Africa General Manager Elias Schulze reiterated the league’s commitment to building a truly pan-African competition.

“We’re looking to go to all four corners of the continent,” Schulze said.

Uchegbu will feature in the bantamweight co-main event, where the Nigerian with an impressive 11-2 professional record will face unbeaten Algerian-Canadian Karim Henniene, who boasts a perfect 7-0 record.

Henniene enters the contest with considerable momentum after securing a first-round submission victory at PFL Africa: Nigeria in June.

Uchegbu also impressed on the same Lagos card, securing a dominant unanimous decision victory to book his place in the semi-finals.

The Nigerian will now face the biggest test of his PFL Africa campaign against an opponent yet to taste defeat professionally.

Ocheme will compete in an all-Nigerian lightweight semi-final against Cornel Thompson, guaranteeing that Nigeria will have a representative in the division’s final.

The Nigerian fighter has remained unbeaten in nine of his last 10 outings and produced one of the most spectacular moments of the Lagos event.

Ocheme delivered a stunning punch-and-flying-knee knockout against Cameroon’s Octave Ayinda, announcing himself as one of the tournament’s fighters to watch.

He will now attempt to produce another memorable performance against Thompson and move one step closer to becoming PFL Africa champion.

The heavyweight main event will feature Senegal’s Abdoulaye Kane against Morocco’s Badr Medkouri.

Kane enters the contest unbeaten by stoppage across his five professional victories, while Medkouri boasts eight knockout victories from nine career wins, setting up a potentially explosive encounter.

Other semi-final matchups will see Angola’s Shido Boris Esperança face South Africa’s Peace Nguphane, while Guinea-Bissau’s Rivaldo Pereira takes on Nigeria’s David Samuel.

Senegal’s Demba Seck will meet Chad’s Hussain Al Kurdi, while Liberia’s Dwight Joseph faces Angola’s Boule Godogo.

With fighters from Algeria, Nigeria, Angola, South Africa, Guinea-Bissau, Senegal, Chad, Liberia and Morocco represented across the semi-final lineup, the Casablanca event underlines the growing continental reach of PFL Africa.

Following the competition’s Nigerian debut in Lagos earlier this year, the move to Morocco represents another major step in the promotion’s ambition to establish a strong MMA platform across Africa.

For Nigeria, attention will be firmly on Ocheme and Uchegbu as they seek victories in Casablanca and a place in the PFL Africa Finals.