2025 PFL Africa 2 Play-by-Play, Results & Round Scoring

Kunle Lawal (170.4) vs. Desmond Awa Tamungang (168.2)

Round 1

A welterweight tournament alternate bout kicks off festivities for 2025 PFL Africa 2 at Big Top Arena in Johannesburg, where Nigeria’s Lawal (2-1, 0-0 PFL)—brought to the cage by Michael Jackson’s iconic “Beat It”—squares off with Cameroon’s Tamungang (5-0, 0-0 PFL). Ferdinand Basson adjudicates matters. No glove touch. Tamungang opens with an inside leg kick, then goes to the outside. Lawal answers with a body kick and sticks his opponent with a straight right. Tamungang steps forward with a one-two and looks to clinch. Lawal shrugs off those efforts. Inside leg kick from Tamungang. Lawal clinches, pins his opponent to the fence and throws knees to the body. Tamungang denies a takedown initially, but Lawal stays with it, scores with an inside trip and climbs to full mount. Tamungang gets to half guard. Lawal applies heavy shoulder pressure and gets his ground-and-pound going. He ups his intensity as Tamungang looks to scramble. Lawal moves to the back, then settles in half guard. A minute to go. Lawal drops elbows and moves to full mount a second time, letting his hands go while he does so. Tamungang sneaks out the back door and gets back to his feet, though the round appears lost with mere seconds to go. Tamungang steps into a right hand just as the round closes.

Sherdog Scores

Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Lawal
J.L. Kirven scores the round: 10-9 Lawal
Mike Pendleton scores the round: 10-9 Lawal

Round 2

Off they go in the middle stanza. Tamungang takes the center of the cage and lunges forward with a right uppercut-left hook combo, then secures a takedown. Lawal sweeps into top position. Tamungang threatens with a kimura and reverses. He settles in half guard and drops elbows. Tamungang passes to side control and scores with more elbows. Lawal turns away from contact. Tamungang unleashes a string of right hands with his kneeling opponent not responding. Lawal stands, only to be dumped back to the canvas. Tables have definitely turned. Tamungang takes the back, sets his hooks and goes about hunting the choke. Lawal reverses into top position, though he appears visibly fatigued. Tamungang stays busy off his back. Lawal responds with a few punches. One minute left in the round. Lawal drops an elbow and works body-head shots from inside full guard. Nothing damaging lands.

Sherdog Scores

Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Tamungang
J.L. Kirven scores the round: 10-9 Tamungang
Mike Pendleton scores the round: 10-9 Tamungang

Round 3

Anyone’s fight with five minutes to go. Fatigue seems to have taken a bite out of both men. Sharp jab from Lawal. Tamungang answers with a straight right. Lawal gets in on the hips and secures a takedown. He settles in half guard and chips away with right hands.Tamungang gets to all fours and briefly stands before his opponent sweeps out his base. He sticks with it and scrambles back to his feet. Lawal initiates another clinch and pins his opponent on the fence. Tamungang separates. Midway through the round. Tamungang steps into a right cross, followed by two more. Lawal ducks into a takedown, then clinches along the fence, firing knees to the back of his opponent’s thighs. Tamungang lands a backward elbow but concedes a takedown with 30 seconds remaining. Might be the exclamation point Lawal needs. He maintains top position until the bell sounds.

Sherdog Scores

Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Lawal (29-28 Lawal)
J.L. Kirven scores the round: 10-9 Lawal (29-28 Lawal)
Mike Pendleton scores the round: 10-9 Lawal (29-28 Lawal)

The Official Result

Kunle Lawal def. Desmond Awa Tamungang—Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Abdoul Razac Sankara (146) vs. Shadrick Dju Yemba (146)

Round 1

Pressing forward, Burkina Faso’s Sankara (6-3, 0-0 PFL) puts Congo’s Yemba (4-0, 0-0 PFL) to the test in a PFL Africa featherweight quarterfinal. Paul Crossley administers the law and order. No glove touch. They measure each other in the center of the cage. Yemba probes with inside leg kicks and a front kick to the body. Sankara answers with an outside leg kick, then another. Both men go down after landing punches while off-balance. Sharp one-two from Sankara, who then shoots a straight left to the body. Yemba ducks a punch and circles on the outside. Sankara zeroes in and connects with a thunderous head kick that freezes his opponent where he stands. An unconscious Yemba collapses facedown on the canvas. Highlight-reel stuff from Sankara.

The Official Result

Abdoul Razac Sankara def. Shadrick Dju Yemba—KO (Head Kick) 2:01 R1

Elbert Lukas Steyn (148: Missed Weight) vs. Abderrahman Errachidy (148: Missed Weight)

Round 1

They keep the line moving with a 148-pound catchweight showcase pitting South Africa’s Steyn (3-0, 0-0 PFL) against Morocco’s Errachidy (4-1, 0-0 PFL). Wiekus Swart serves as the third man in the cage. They greet each other with a glove touch. Steyn stands flat-footed in the center of the cage and approaches cautiously. Strong leg kick from Errachidy. Steyn switches stances and whiffs on a body kick. Errachidy shuts down a takedown. Steyn reshoots and gets denied again. Spinning back kick to the face from Errachidy results in a knockdown. Steyn gets back to his feet and tries for another takedown. No luck for the South African. Errachidy shrugs off a clinch and resets in the center of the cage. Two minutes to go. Hard leg kick from Errachidy, who follows up with a right hand and a clean one-two. Not going according to plan for Steyn. He pulls guard. Errachidy drops elbows into the ribs and gets his ground-and-pound in gear. He postures with punches, dives back into full guard and connects with a short elbow. Errachidy moves to half guard and continues to bomb away with right hands.

Sherdog Scores

Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-8 Errachidy
J.L. Kirven scores the round: 10-8 Errachidy
Mike Pendleton scores the round: 10-9 Errachidy

Round 2

Back to work for Round 2. Errachidy opens with a head kick and connects with a brutal knee to the solar plexus. Steyn clutches midsection and falls to the mat, where the Moroccan polishes off the finish with punches.

The Official Result

Abderrahman Errachidy def. Elbert Lukas Steyn—TKO (Knee to the Body and Punches) 0:14 R2

Wilker Nsamo (144.8) vs. Dwight Joseph (145.2)

Round 1

Next up: a PFL Africa featherweight quarterfinal matching Angola’s Nsamo (7-0, 0-0 PFL) with Liberia’s Joseph (14-2, 0-0 PFL) at 145 pounds. Bobby Karagiannidis steps in as referee. A glove touch gets them going. They hunt for openings from the center of the cage, with Nsamo relying heavily on kicks to the legs and body. Slow start from Joseph. Front kick to the body from Nsamo. Joseph answers with an inside leg kick. Midway through an uneventful round. Nsamo scores with a body kick, then resets. Joseph struggling to find holes in his counterpart’s defenses. Inside leg kick from the Team Alpha Male rep. They exchange leg kicks. Switch kick to the body from Nsamo. They trade inside leg kicks. Nsamo lands a body kick and a side kick to the thigh.

Sherdog Scores

Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Nsamo
J.L. Kirven scores the round: 10-9 Nsamo
Mike Pendleton scores the round: 10-9 Nsamo

Round 2

Back to work they go. Body kick from Nsamo, who dodges the return fire. Joseph switches stances. Nsamo counters with an overhand right and backs up the Liberian. Strong inside leg kick from Joseph. Nsamo answers with one of his own. He follows with a rear-leg front kick to the breadbasket. Joseph tries to get his jab in gear. Spectators growing impatient, and rightfully so. Joseph steps into a body kick. Midway through another tentative round. Joseph counters a jab with a left hook. Stout low kick from Nsamo. He follows with a switch kick to the body. Not nearly enough output from either man. Nsamo catches a body kick but elects to release it. One-two from Joseph. Thirty seconds left on the clock. Right hook to the body from Joseph, who misfires with a wheel kick and resets. Just before the bell, Joseph catches his opponent reaching for a takedown and connects with a devastating flying knee. Nsamo was out cold before he hit the canvas. Spectacular conclusion to what had been a horrendous fight to that point.

The Official Result

Dwight Joseph def. Wilker Nsamo—KO (Flying Knee) 4:57 R2

Wasiu Adeshina (145.8) vs. Jean-Jacques Lubaya (144.6)

Round 1

Another PFL Africa featherweight quarterfinal closes out the undercard, as Nigeria’s Adeshina (7-3, 0-0 PFL) sets his sights on Congo’s Lubaya (9-1, 0-0 PFL). Basson officiates. They step forward, touch gloves and immediately start unleashing punches. Lubaya shoots on a takedown. Lubaya sprawls but winds up pinned to the fence in the clinch. They jockey for position along the cage. Lubaya throws a kick and separates. He sweeps Adeshina to the canvas with a leg kick and takes top position. Adeshina scrambles to his feet. Lubaya steps into a right hand and clinches again. He fires a few knees and forces Adeshina to carry his weight. Midway through the round. Lubaya lands two right hooks on the break. Adeshina lands a spinning back elbow and then counters a takedown into top position. He settles in half guard and throws elbows before climbing to full mount. Punches follow, along with a few elbows. Lubaya struggles to free himself. Adeshina stays on top and cuts loose with punches. Strong close to the round for the Nigerian.

Sherdog Scores

Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Adeshina
J.L. Kirven scores the round: 10-9 Adeshina
Mike Pendleton scores the round: 10-9 Adeshina

Round 2

They meet in the middle for Round 2. Clubbing right hand lands for Adeshina. Body kick from Lubaya. Adeshina shoots on a single-leg, turns his opponent into the fence and secures a takedown. He moves to full mount again, this time with four minutes on the clock. He drops elbows and punches. Luabay turns away from contact but continues to absorb punches. Adeshina fires punches from both hands, along with a few elbows. Lubaya’s situation grows direr by the second. Adeshina unloads with more punches. Lubaya turns away again and gets flattened out. Adeshina sneaks his arms into position for the rear-naked choke and prompts the tapout.

The Official Result

Wasiu Adeshina def. Jean Jacques Lubaya—Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) 3:14 R2

Osvaldo Benedito (168) vs. Emilios Dassi (169.6)

Round 1

The first of four PFL Africa welterweight quarterfinals gets the ball rolling on the main card, where Angola’s Benedito (3-1, 0-0 PFL) awaits Cameroon’s Dassi (4-1, 0-0 PFL) at 170 pounds. Crossley adjudicates matters. The two man go head-to-head before the bout even starts. They touch gloves. Dassi gets his opponent’s attention with a right hand, catches a kick, clinches and cuts loose with punches. Benedito denies a takedown, only to eat a few short-range knee strikes and punishing right hands. Dassi pins him to the fence and trips his counterpart to the canvas. Benedito has no answer for the aggression with which he has been confronted. He locks in a triangle and eats more punches. Dassi gets free and cracks away with more punches, nearly finishing it. Back on the feet, he presses forward and uncorks a sweeping left hook followed by a crushing overhand right that sleeps Benedito at the base of the cage.

The Official Result

Emilios Dassi def. Osvaldo Benedito—KO (Punches) 2:12 R1

Sanon Sadeck (170.2) vs. Yabna N'Tchala (168.4)

Round 1

Moving along, Burkina Faso’s Sadeck (7-2, 0-1 PFL) collides with Guinea-Bissau’s N’Tchala (11-2-1, 0-0 PFL) in a PFL Africa welterweight quarterfinal. Swart administers the law and order. Sadeck opens with a one-two. N’Tchala answers with a body kick. They flurry. N’Tchala executes a takedown and settles in side control. Short punches ensue. N’Tchala moves to north-south and connects the arms on a guillotine. Sadeck stands and eventually extricates himself. They clinch along the fence. Sadeck fires a knee to the body before they separate. N’Tchala scores with a strong leg kick and an overhand left before ducking into another clinch. They trade knees and punches at close range. Looping left from N’Tchala, who follows with a multi-punch burst. Sharp jab from Sadeck. Less than a minute to go. N’Tchala slips a right hand and cuts loose with a one-two. Sadeck clinches and throws knees. They separate as the round closes.

Sherdog Scores

Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 N’Tchala
J.L. Kirven scores the round: 10-9 N’Tchala
Mike Pendleton scores the round: 10-9 N’Tchala

Round 2

Off they go for the middle stanza. They exchange low kicks. Sadeck jabs to the head, then the body. N’Tchala circles on the outside and looks to get his own jab in gear. He unleashes a series of one-twos. Not all the punches get through, but some do. Leg kick from Sadeck, then another. N’Tchala responds with a quick burst of punches and sneaks a right hook around his opponent’s defenses. Sadeck continues to target the head and body with jabs. Overhand left from N’Tchala, who sends a sweeping left hook crashing into his counterpart’s body. Sadeck clinches with two minutes to go in the round. They separate. N’Tchala lunges forward with a left and whiffs on a takedown. Two-punch volley from N’Tchala, followed by a knee to the body. They clinch again. Trip takedown from N’Tchala. Sadeck quickly gets to a knee and stands. N’Tchala chips away with knees to the legs and looks to kick out his opponent’s base.

Sherdog Scores

Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 N’Tchala
J.L. Kirven scores the round: 10-9 N’Tchala
Mike Pendleton scores the round: 10-9 N’Tchala

Round 3

Sadeck may need a finish here. N’Tchala opens with a leg kick and fires away with looping punches. Non land. Sadeck connects with a counter left hook, followed by a one-two. He grabs the collar tie in the center of the cage and scores with knees to the body before N’Tchala can separate. Sadeck jabs the body. Fatigue a factor for both men. N’Tchala scores with a leg kick. Sadeck clinches, and they trade dirty-boxing uppercuts. N’Tchala delivers a knee to the body and another, followed by an elbow over the top. They clinch along the fence. Midway through the round. They exchange knees at close range. N’Tchala completes another takedown. Sadeck gets back to his feet in a hurry. Back to the clinch they go. Sadeck connects with a few knees to the midsection. N’Tchala answers with a few of his own. Both men running on fumes now. They trade in the center of the cage and clinch. Sadeck scores with knees and elbows in the waning seconds.

Sherdog Scores

Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Sadeck (29-28 N’Tchala)
J.L. Kirven scores the round: 10-9 Sadeck (29-28 N’Tchala)
Mike Pendleton scores the round: 10-9 Sadeck (29-28 N’Tchala)

The Official Result

Yabna N’Tchala def. Sanon Sadeck—Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)

British Boloyoang (170.2) vs. Ayinda Octave (169.8)

Round 1

Business picks up with another PFL Africa welterweight quarterfinal, as Congo’s Boloyoang (3-1, 0-0 PFL) toes the line against Cameroon’s Octave (5-0, 0-0 PFL) at 170 pounds. Karagiannidis serves as the third man in the cage. No glove touch. Inside leg kick from Octave, who ducks into a takedown. Boloyoang counters with a guillotine but cannot corral his opponent in guard. Octave frees himself and sets up in top position. He goes to work with punches in half guard. Octave stands and uncorks a hellacious standing-to-ground punch. He slides to side control and drops elbows. Boloyoang pauses, considers the state in which he finds himself, looks up at the referee and elects to verbally submit.

The Official Result

Avinda Octave def. British Boloyoang—TKO (Retirement) 1:55 R1

Shido Boris Esperanca (170.6) vs. Ibrahima Mane (170.6)

Round 1

PFL Africa 2 has arrived at its co-main event, where Angola’s Esperanca (9-1, 1-0 PFL) locks horns with Gambia’s Mane (13-5, 1-1 PFL) in the last welterweight quarterfinal. Basson steps in as referee. Front kick starts it from Mane, who scores with a throw. Esperanca reverses, plows to full mount, progresses to the back and cinches the rear-naked choke for a quick finish.

The Official Result

Shido Boris Esperanca def. Ibrahima Mane—Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) 0:34 R1

Patrick Ocheme (144.6) vs. Mohamed Camara (145.6)

Round 1

Featherweights close the show, as Nigeria’s Ocheme (6-1, 0-0 PFL) does battle with Guinea’s Camara (5-2-1, 0-0 PFL) in a 145-pound quarterfinal. Crossley officiates. They circle at the start. Hard leg kick from Camara. Ocheme lands a side kick to the thigh. Camara clinches and drives a knee into his opponent’s midsection. Ocheme answers and presses his counterpart into the cage. Camara trips him to the floor and lands in side control. Ocheme scrambles to his feet and turns into the clinch, landing knees to the body and legs. He fends off another attempted trip and separates. Ocheme plows forward, lands a jumping knee and swings wildly. Camara recovers. Ocheme clearly looking for a kill shot here. He flicks out a one-one-two and misses a spinning back kick upstairs. Camara fires back with punches, then clinches. Outside trip attempt goes nowhere. They disengage. Ocheme lands an inside leg kick, then misfires on a head kick just before the bell sounds.

Sherdog Scores

Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Ocheme
J.L. Kirven scores the round: 10-9 Ocheme
Mike Pendleton scores the round: 10-9 Ocheme

Round 2

The middle stanza gets underway with dueling left hooks. Ocheme lands a push kick to the body and follows with a sweeping left hook upstairs. Camara tries for a takedown but gets stonewalled. Body kick from Ocheme. Camara counters with a left hook. Ocheme steps in with an elbow and eats another counter. Camara presses forward, lands a low kick and a right hand over the top. Ocheme connects with a knee to the body. Leg kick from Camara, then another. Ocheme floors Camara with a left hook, follows up with punches and unleashes a hellacious barrage of elbow-laced ground-and-pound. Camara fishes for a leg lock and eats more elbows, hammerfists and forearm strikes. Ocheme continues to punch, as his resilient opponent gets to his knees and moves back to his feet. Camara refuses to go away. Can only wonder hoe much Ocheme has left in the tank. They exchange knees along the fence. Camara slips on a takedown attempt. Ocheme moves behind him, threatens with a rear-naked choke, takes top position and closes the round with more ground-and-pound.

Sherdog Scores

Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-8 Ocheme
J.L. Kirven scores the round: 10-8 Ocheme
Mike Pendleton scores the round: 10-8 Ocheme

Round 3

Camara finds himself in a deep hole to start the third round. Ocheme connects with a stiff jab. Camara presses forward, showing no regard for his well-being. He narrowly misses an overhand right. Camara back his opponent to the fence and lands with a right over the top. Ocheme circles into open space, dodges two wild power punches and finds a home for his jab. They clinch along the fence. Camara scores with a knee to the body, then another. Ocheme turns him into the cage and goes to work with knees to the legs. Referee restarts them. Two minutes to go. Ocheme unfurls a few jabs and a knee to the body. Camara ducks a spinning backfist and clinches. He pulls guard, and Ocheme powers into top position with a little more than a minute left. Hammerfists from the Nigerian. Camara hunts another leg lock. No luck. Ocheme stays on top, avoids damage and scores with a few more hammerfists.

Sherdog Scores

Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Ocheme (30-26 Ocheme)
J.L. Kirven scores the round: 10-9 Ocheme (30-26 Ocheme)
Mike Pendleton scores the round: 10-9 Ocheme (30-26 Ocheme)

The Official Result

Patrick Ocheme def. Mohamed Camara—Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)