Ocheme, Uchegbu advance to PFL Africa finals

Nigeria’s Patrick Ocheme and Raphael Uchegbu have advanced to the finals of their respective tournaments at the Professional Fighters League Africa event in Casablanca, Morocco, on Saturday, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.

The finals, in the bantamweight, lightweight and welterweight divisions, will take place in Rwanda on December 10.

Ocheme, whose record is now 10-1, knocked out fellow Nigerian Cornel Thompson (12-4) with a body kick in the first round of their lightweight semi-final, ending the fight at 2:46. He will face Senegal’s Demba Seck (11-3) in the final.

Seck advanced after his semi-final against the unbeaten Hussain Al Kurdi (3-0) ended in a no-contest at 0:37 of the first round, due to an accidental groin strike.

Uchegbu (11-2) reached the bantamweight final without fighting, as his semi-final opponent missed weight and was unable to compete. He will meet Liberia’s Dwight Joseph (17-3), who earned his place by outpointing Boule Godogo (5-3) by split decision, 29-28, 29-28 and 28-29.

Both Nigerians had advanced from the Lagos leg of the tournament. Ocheme knocked out Cameroon’s Octave Ayinda there, while Uchegbu and Thompson won by unanimous decision.

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In the welterweight tournament, Angola’s Shido Boris Esperança (13-2) stopped South Africa’s Peace Nguphane (9-4) with punches at 1:03 of the first round. He will face the unbeaten David Samuel (7-0), who beat Rivaldo Pereira (4-3) by unanimous decision, 30-27 on all three scorecards. The two shared a face-off in the cage after the semi-finals.

The event at the Mohammed V Sports Complex was PFL Africa’s first show in North Africa. In the heavyweight main event, Senegal’s Abdoulaye Kane (6-2) beat Morocco’s Badr “Dastan” Medkouri (9-4) by TKO at 4:06 of the first round, with punches and elbows from full mount, in front of the Moroccan’s home crowd.

“Winning the main event of PFL Africa in Casablanca is a moment I will never forget,” Kane said.

“Morocco is my home, the country that welcomed me, supported me, and gave me the strength to keep chasing my dreams.”

In the featherweight co-main event, Algeria’s Yanis Ghemmouri (14-4) beat Morocco’s Taha Bendaoud (5-3) by unanimous decision, 30-27 on all three cards, with counter-striking and top control.

On the undercard, Nigeria’s Jane Osigwe (6-4) beat Morocco’s Sanaa Mandar (3-3) by unanimous decision at a 132lb catchweight, with scores of 29-28, 29-28 and 29-27. Reda Abdellaoui submitted Salim Mhamdi with a rear-naked choke in the first round, while Mouhamed Ba beat Yabna N’Tchala and Abderrahman Errachidy beat Oussama El Idrissi, both by unanimous decision.