The Professional Fighters League Africa delivered an electrifying night of mixed martial arts action on Saturday, hosting its high-stakes tournament semifinals at the historic Mohammed V Sports Complex in Casablanca, Morocco. The event, broadcast live across the continent and beyond, featured a card packed with divisional implications, tournament battles, and high-impact finishes that kept the Moroccan crowd on the edge of their seats throughout the evening.
At the center of the excitement was the heavyweight headliner, which pitted Senegal’s Abdoulaye Kane against promotional newcomer Badr Medkouri. The main event promised fireworks, and the two heavyweights did not disappoint in the opening moments, immediately engaging and exchanging heavy leather in the center of the cage. The early momentum faced a brief interruption when an accidental eye poke by Kane forced referee Paul Crossley to pause the action. Medkouri was given the mandatory recovery time, allowing the local favorite to clear his vision and continue the bout.
Abdoulaye Kane Finishes Badr Medkouri in the First Round in Casablanca
When the referee signaled for the fight to resume, Kane quickly took command of the tempo. The Senegalese contender expertly neutralized Morocco’s Medkouri by pinning him against the cage before executing a crisp takedown to the canvas. Working from top position, Kane maintained relentless pressure, landing short punches as Medkouri scrambled frantically in search of an escape route.
Recognizing an opening, Kane shifted gears and unleashed a devastating series of unanswered elbows that left the referee with no choice but to intervene. The technical knockout came at the 4:06 mark of the opening round, securing a massive victory for Kane, who proudly carried the win back home to Senegal. With the triumph, Kane rebounded successfully from a prior setback, improving his overall professional record to 6-2 while boasting a 3-2 mark under the PFL banner and winning three of his last four outings.
Co-Main Event and Tournament Semifinals Unfold in Casablanca
In the featherweight co-main event, former Ultimate Fighting Championship veteran and 2025 PFL MENA finalist Yanis Ghemmouri put on a tactical masterclass against Taha Bendaoud. Ghemmouri effectively stifled Bendaoud’s offensive output by remaining patient, waiting for his opponent to overcommit, and capitalizing on the openings.
As the bout progressed into the second and third rounds, Ghemmouri successfully took the fight to the canvas on multiple occasions and kept Bendaoud at bay with crisp, measured strikes from distance. The Moroccan fighter struggled to find his rhythm or impose his preferred game plan as the three rounds ticked away. Ultimately, all three ringside judges turned in identical scorecards of 30-27 in favor of Ghemmouri, awarding the Algerian veteran a decisive unanimous decision victory and improving his promotional record to 2-1.
The tournament semifinals also brought intense drama across multiple weight classes, beginning with the welterweight division. Shido Boris Esperanca squared off against Peace Nguphane in a matchup that nearly suffered a hurdle when Esperanca missed the scale on Friday, coming in at 172 pounds. Despite the weight mishap, "The Machine" wasted little time making a statement inside the cage, hurting Nguphane early in the opening frame. Esperanca maintained suffocating pressure and secured a technical knockout just 63 seconds into the fight, extending his impressive PFL record to 5-1 and advancing deeper into the tournament.
The second welterweight semifinal featured International Mixed Martial Arts Federation veteran David Samuel and Rivaldo Pereira. In a battle of grappling prowess, Samuel—affectionately known as "Django"—outwrestled and controlled Pereira over the course of three full rounds. While Samuel thoroughly dictated the grappling exchanges, the bout marked the first time in his professional career that he was forced to go the distance. All three judges scored the bout 30-27 for Samuel, handing him a unanimous decision and setting up a highly anticipated tournament final clash against Esperanca.
In the bantamweight division’s sole semifinal matchup, Dwight Joseph locked horns with Boule Godogo in a closely contested affair. Joseph leaned heavily on his grappling expertise to secure advantageous positions, taking Godogo’s back on multiple occasions. However, despite threatening with various submission attempts, Joseph was unable to find a definitive finish. The judges’ scorecards reflected the competitive nature of the bout, awarding Joseph a split decision victory with scores of 29-28, 29-28, and 28-29. Joseph advances to the bantamweight final, where he is slated to face Raphael Uchegbu, whose own semifinal bout against Alain Majorique was removed from the event card.
The lightweight tournament bracket delivered explosive action as well. Patrick Ocheme punched his ticket to the final in emphatic fashion, stopping Cornel Thompson with a thunderous body kick at the 2:46 mark of the first round. As soon as "Star Boi" landed the clean strike to the midsection, Thompson visibly wilted, backing down and collapsing straight to the canvas. Ocheme intelligently pulled back as the referee rushed in to halt the contest, securing his fourth PFL victory in as many appearances.
The opposite lightweight semifinal between Demba Seck and Hussain Al Kurdi unfortunately ended prematurely. Just 37 seconds into the opening round, Al Kurdi landed an accidental knee to the groin of Seck. Seck utilized the full duration of the five-minute recovery window allowed by the unified rules, but ultimately informed the medical staff and referee that he could not continue. Consequently, the bout was ruled a no contest. Under the specific tournament advancement rules of the PFL, Seck advanced past the opening hurdle and will move on to face Ocheme in the lightweight final.
Additional tournament and showcase bouts filled out the preliminary and main cards in Casablanca. In welterweight action, Mouhamed Ba earned the first decision victory of his professional career by defeating Yabna N’Tchala via unanimous decision, with judges scoring the bout 30-27, 30-27, and 29-28. Nicknamed "The Black Lion," Ba utilized effective, disciplined striking to dictate the pace from start to finish, capturing his first promotional win while handing N’Tchala his second consecutive defeat.
In a bantamweight showcase bout, Legacy Fighting Alliance veteran Reda Abdellaoui preserved his undefeated professional record. "The Lynx" forced Tunisia’s Salim Mhamdi to tap out to a rear-naked choke at the 2:11 mark of the opening round. The swift submission marked Abdellaoui’s fifth finish in as many professional outings and his second career victory secured via rear-naked choke.
Earlier in the evening, former African Knockout titleholder Jane Osigwe squared off against Sanaa Mandar in a 132-pound catchweight bout. Osigwe showcased her veteran poise over three rounds, earning a hard-fought unanimous decision victory with judges scoring the contest 29-28, 29-28, and 29-27.
Opening up the preliminary action of the lightweight division, Abderrahman Errachidy picked up his first career decision victory by successfully outpointing Oussama El Idrissi across three competitive rounds. Errachidy swept the judges’ scorecards, securing identical 29-28 scores alongside a wider 30-27 tally to cap off an unforgettable night of martial arts competition in Morocco.
