Nigeria’s Patrick Ocheme and Raphael Uchegbu emerged among the biggest winners as the Professional Fighters League (PFL) staged its historic first event in Nigeria, bringing PFL Africa to Lagos on Saturday night.
The landmark event delivered an electrifying mix of tournament action and showcase bouts, with Nigerian fighters producing memorable performances before a passionate home crowd.
Ocheme stole the spotlight in the lightweight tournament co-main event, producing one of the most spectacular finishes of the evening against Cameroon’s Octave “The Bantu Warrior” Ayinda. Nicknamed “Star Boi”, the Nigerian fighter set up the finish with a check hook before landing a stunning flying knee that ended the contest in the opening round and secured his place in the next stage of the competition.
Fellow Nigerian Raphael Uchegbu also impressed, dominating his opponent over three rounds to earn a unanimous 30-27 victory on all three judges’ scorecards and strengthen his credentials as a title contender.
PFL Africa Marks Historic First Event in Nigeria
The event marked a significant milestone for mixed martial arts in Africa, with PFL bringing one of the world’s leading MMA promotions to Nigerian soil for the first time.
In the featherweight showcase main event, Nigeria’s Wasi “The Nigerian Jaguar” Adeshina faced Spain’s Ignacio “Nacho” Campos. Adeshina started brightly with an early takedown, but Campos recovered well, landing a knee in the clinch before securing a first-round rear-naked choke submission victory.
Tournament Contenders Book Semifinal Places
The tournament card also featured several bantamweight and lightweight opening-round contests as fighters battled for places in the semifinals.
Boule Godogo booked his place in the bantamweight semifinals after stopping Dauda Rajabu with ground-and-pound strikes, while Dwight Joseph advanced following a split-decision victory. Algerian-Canadian prospect Karim Henniene maintained his unbeaten record with a swift anaconda choke submission to move through to the next round.
In the lightweight bracket, Demba Seck secured a dominant decision win over Jean Do Santos to advance, while Hussain Al Kurdi joined him after submitting Abderrahman Errachidy. Nigeria’s Cornel Thompson also progressed, improving his career record with a decision victory.
Drama Across the Showcase Bouts
The showcase portion of the card produced plenty of drama. Brazil’s Elisandra “Lili” Ferreira handed Nigeria’s Juliet Ukah the first defeat of her professional career via armbar submission. Middleweight Jordan Fongno ended Yahaya Yahuza’s eight-fight winning streak with a barrage of punches that forced a technical knockout stoppage. Earlier, Shelda Chipito overcame an ankle injury to submit Egypt’s Haidy Ahmed with a rear-naked choke.
Following a successful debut in Lagos, PFL Africa will continue its 2026 season with another landmark event in Casablanca, Morocco, on October 10. The promotion said the card will feature some of Africa’s top emerging talents alongside established regional stars as it continues its mission to expand world-class MMA across the continent.
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