By Daily Sports Nigeria on August 26, 2025

Nigeria’s Patrick ‘Starboi’ Ocheme is closing in on the pioneer PFL Africa crown after securing his place in the semifinals of the inaugural Professional Fighters League Africa tournament.

The featherweight star will headline the semifinals when Africa’s elite mixed martial arts fighters compete for spots in the tournament finals at the BK Arena in Kigali, Rwanda, on Saturday, October 18.

After two groundbreaking events in Cape Town and Johannesburg, the finalists of the inaugural PFL Africa Tournament will be decided at the semifinal bouts across the heavyweight, welterweight, featherweight, and bantamweight divisions.

Headlining the evening, Ocheme, who delivered a masterclass at the quarterfinal bout in Johannesburg with a unanimous decision victory over Guinea’s Mohamed Camara (30-27, 30-27, 29-28), will face Burkina Faso’s Abdoul Sankara in the featherweight semi-final main event.

Their meeting pits Ocheme’s steady composure and experience against Sankara’s explosive finishing power, with a place in the 145-pound finals hanging in the balance.

Sankara earned his place in the semifinals as the flashy striker who delivered Johannesburg’s knockout of the night with a spectacular head kick over Shadrick Yemba.

The event marks the biggest MMA competition ever to take place in East Africa, underscoring Rwanda’s growing reputation as a premier destination for world-class sports and entertainment.

Winners of the semifinal bouts will advance to the finals in Benin, where PFL will crown the first-ever African champions in the heavyweight, welterweight, featherweight, and bantamweight divisions at the end of this year.

Source Punch Ng

Posted August 26, 2025

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