Unorthodox Patrick Ocheme offers high praise for Mohamed Camara after PFL Joburg

Nigeria’s Featherweight star Patrick Ocheme (7-1) showcased his maturity and composure against the resilient Mohamed Camara (5-3-1) in the inaugural PFL Africa Tournament this past weekend.

Following an absolute humdinger show in Cape Town last month, the PFL rolled out its second PFL Africa show at Big Top, Carnival City in Johannesburg on Saturday where the Feather and Welterweight athletes got their turn to compete for a spot in the Tournament Finals, that will see the promotion crown its first African champions in Benin at the end of the year.

In the main event, Ocheme and Guinea’s Camara put on a show befitting of a headliner as these two warriors went toe-to-toe for three rounds. Ocheme eventually walked away victorious via unanimous decision (30-27 x2, 29-28) after dominating the exchanges on all fronts.

The South African-based Ocheme gave the Joburg crowd a taste of his dynamic and unorthodox style, producing an array of strikes that mixed beautiful elbows, switch kicks, and knees.

Ocheme’s Decisive Moment: A Lethal Knee and Elbows Overwhelm Camara in the Second Round 

In the second round, Ocheme delivered a beautifully timed teep kick to the midsection of Camara, before the latter unleashed some powerful bombs, including a telling left to the head of Ocheme.

The Nigerian stayed on point with his reads and timing, and in one decisive moment, he launched with a lethal knee to Camara’s body that dropped the Guinean.

At that moment, the crowd thought the fight was over as Ocheme overwhelmed the grounded Camara with elbows as the referee kept a beady eye on the situation. 

“I thought he was going to quit at that point, but he is an absolute warrior. He earned my respect in there today. When the referee said ‘move or defend yourself’, he said, ‘I am still fine’. 

“But I could also see that he was still in there,” said Ocheme of Camara.

It has to be said, Mohamed Camara’s conditioning is something to admire and strive toward. The man was in impeccable shape and showcased some of the best cardio and control in mixed martial arts, always coming forward with balanced breathing.

Camara’s Resilience and Ocheme’s Triumph in the PFL Africa Featherweight Tournament

Even after the adversity faced in the second round, Camara stepped up to the plate in the final five minutes and lifted his tactical game with good head movement, a strong jab, and counters, all from the base of a solid tank.

This fight was a textbook example for upcoming athletes and proved yet again that a good gas tank plays an imperative role. In the end, Ocheme remained the sharper athlete with more accuracy, a higher volume, and a higher work rate.

“I never panicked, at any point in the fight,” says Ocheme when asked about the pressure and durability of Camara.

“When my coaches (like Dwain Meredith) are pleased with my preparation in fight camp, then I am happy and confident, regardless of anything. This is the fight game; the wheel can turn at any point, but I always stay positive.” Ocheme, who has been training out of Pandamonium Gym in Johannesburg, South Africa, will now advance to the semi-final of the PFL Africa Featherweight tournament and will face Burkino Faso-born Abdoul Razac Sankara next.

While he has recently made South Africa his home, Ocheme still enjoys strong ties with his place of birth and is proud to fly the vertical triband.

“Maybe someday in the future, I would love to represent South Africa as well, but I was born and brought up in Nigeria. I am very proud of my national colours and I have a lot of support from my people back home, from all the kickboxing and MMA gyms and institutions, as well as the athletes. I’m very honored to be representing my country and my gym. It’s all the same for me, it’s about representing my family and friends.”

PFL Africa First Round: Johannesburg Results

Patrick Ocheme (7-1) def. Mohamed Camara (5-3-1) via unanimous decision (30-27 x2, 29-28)

Shido Boris Esperanca (10-1) def. Ibrahima Mané (13-6) by submission (rear naked choke) at 0:34 of round one

Octave Ayinda (6-0) def. British Boloyoang (3-2) by TKO () at 1:55 of round one

Yabna N’tchala (12-2-1) def. Sanon Sadeck (7-3) by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28 x2)

Emilios Dassi (5-1) def. Osvaldo Benedito (3-2) by KO (punches) at 2:12 of round one

Wasi Adeshina (8-3) def. Jean Jacques Lubaya (9-2) via submission (rear naked choke) at 3:14 of round two

Dwight Joseph (15-2) def. Wilker Nsamo (7-1) via KO (knee) at 4:57 of round two

Abderahman Errachidy (5-1) def. Elbert Steyn (3-1) via TKO (knee) at 0:14 of round two

Abdoul Razac Sankara (7-3) def. Shadrack Yemba (4-1) via KO (head kick) at 2:01 of round one

Kunle Lawal (3-1) def. Desmond Tamungang (5-1) via unanimous decision (29-28 x3)

@Michael_Sherman

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