PFL Africa: Senegalese Abdoulaye Kane crushes Moroccan Badr Medkouri in Casablanca
Senegalese fighter Abdoulaye Kane defeated Moroccan Badr Medkouri by referee stoppage in the first round on October 10, 2026, in the headline bout of the PFL Africa event held at the Mohammed V Sports Complex in Casablanca. According to Sherdog, referee Paul Crossley stopped the fight at 4:06 after a series of elbows on the ground from the Senegalese fighter, who triumphed in front of his opponent's home crowd.
The Moroccan event served as the semifinals for the Professional Fighters League continental tournament. It was also a successful night for Algeria's Yanis Ghemmouri, who defeated Taha Bendaoud on points in the featherweight division, with all three judges scoring it 30-27, again according to Sherdog.
Six finalists from five countries
The semifinals have determined the qualifiers. In the welterweight division, Angola's Shido Boris Esperança stopped Peace Nguphane in 1:03 of the first round, while Nigeria's David Samuel dominated Rivaldo Pereira on points (unanimous 30-27). In the lightweight division, Nigeria's Patrick Ocheme knocked out Cornel Thompson with a body kick in the first round, and Senegal's Demba Seck secured his ticket after his fight against Hussain Al Kurdi was declared a no-contest at 37 seconds following an accidental blow.
In the bantamweight division, Liberia's Dwight Joseph defeated Boule Godogo by split decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-29). His future opponent, Nigeria's Raphael Uchegbu, advanced without fighting: his opponent withdrew during fight week and no replacement could be found, reports MMA Sucka.
See you in Kigali on December 12
The three finals will therefore feature Esperança versus Samuel (welterweights), Ocheme versus Seck (lightweights), and Uchegbu versus Joseph (bantamweights). They will take place in Kigali, Rwanda, on December 12, 2026, with $100,000 on the line, according to MMA Sucka.
Beyond the results, it is the trajectory of the circuit that deserves attention: from Angola, Nigeria, Senegal, and Liberia to Morocco and Algeria, athletes are now building professional careers on the continent, in front of their own crowds, from Casablanca to Kigali, without having to go through foreign channels to make a name for themselves. African combat sports have never lacked talent; they lacked a calendar and venues. This season provides them with both.
This article was written in French with the help of artificial intelligence from the sources cited below, then translated from French automatically. Read the original.
