Nigeria is set to have a powerful presence at the inaugural PFL Africa Semifinals, with three of its top fighters—Wasi Adeshina, Joffie Houlton and headliner Patrick Ocheme—all competing for a coveted spot in the championship round later this year.
This much was revealed after the Professional Fighters League (PFL) announced the full lineup for the first-ever PFL Africa Semi-finals, set for Saturday, October 18, at BK Arena in Kigali, Rwanda.
After announcing the first four marquee fights featuring two Nigerian stars including the night’s headliner Ocheme, the PFL has now confirmed the entire PFL Rwanda card with seven additional action-packed bouts featuring another Nigerian combat sports sensation Joffie Houlton.
This historic event marks the biggest MMA showcase ever staged in East Africa, underscoring Rwanda’s growing reputation as a premier destination for world-class sports and entertainment.
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By bringing the PFL Africa Semifinals to Kigali, PFL has added mixed martial arts to that list of milestone moments—reaffirming “The Land of a Thousand Hills” as a hub of culture, sport, and innovation. This event represents a landmark moment for global MMA, as the PFL integrates Africa into its fastest-growing international league, empowering African athletes with a global platform and life-changing opportunities.
After two electrifying events in Cape Town and Johannesburg, Africa’s top Bantamweight, Featherweight, Welterweight, and Heavyweight athletes will now descend upon Kigali with their sights set on Benin, where the inaugural PFL Africa champions will be crowned in Benin come December.
Opening the semifinals, Nigeria’s Adeshina (8-3) meets Liberia’s Dwight Joseph (15-2) in a Featherweight showdown. Both fighters secured their semifinal slots in Johannesburg last month, with Adeshina defeating Jean Jacques Lubaya and Joseph stopping Wilker Nsamo.
Headlining the card, Nigeria’s unorthodox Featherweight star Patrick Ocheme (7-1) meets Burkina Faso’s dynamic striker Abdoul Razac Sankara (7-4), who rides into the matchup with momentum from a “Knockout of the Night” performance in Johannesburg.
Should Ocheme and Adeshina both advance to the finals, then the Featherweight crown battle in Benin will be an all Nigerians fight.
Meanwhile, the Heavyweight division features a clash of power as Ivorian Abraham “The One and Only” Bably (6-2) squares off against Nigeria’s Houlton (8-4).
These two athletes will set the stage in the first Heavyweight semi-final before their counterparts collide, as Cameroon’s Maxwell Djantou Nana (7-1) meets undefeated South African Justin Clarke (3-0) with a coveted spot in the Championship round on the line.
Elsewhere in the Welterweight division, Guinea-Bissau’s Yabna “The Panther” N’tchala (12-2-1) looks to extend his dominance and move one step closer to glory. Across from him stands Emilios Dassi (5-1) of Cameroon, a product of the Francis Ngannou Foundation who carries frightening knockout power reminiscent of his countryman, Ngannou himself.
In Bantamweight action, the undefeated Boule Godogo (4-0) of the DRC, fresh off a major upset win against Shannon van Tonder (7-3), meets Algeria’s Karim “The Kryptonian” Henniene (5-0) in a classic “someone’s 0 must go” matchup — set to deliver elite grappling exchanges.
A special treat is on the cards for Rwandans as one of the nation’s own sons, James Opio (2-1) – an exciting finisher with one TKO and one submission – aims to stamp down his authority when he meets an unbeaten mixed martial artist in Uganda’s Isaac Omeda (2-0) in a Showcase Featherweight Bout.
In the co-main event, South Africa’s Nkosi Ndebele (9-3) — known as the “King of Many Nations” and a former BRAVE CF Bantamweight champion — looks to take another step toward gold. He faces undefeated Zimbabwean prospect Simbarashe Hokonya (6-0), a dangerous contender who trains alongside Nicholas Hwende, the very fighter who once dethroned Ndebele.
