Patrick “Star Boi” Ocheme (30), a member of Pandemonium Gym, emerged victorious at the Professional Fighters League (PFL) Africa competition, defeating Mohamed Camara by unanimous decision to clinch his spot in the PFL Africa Featherweight semi-finals.

This nail-biting action took place on August 9 at the Big Top Arena in Brakpan, and Star Boi overcame a slow start in the first round and turned the tide in the second after dropping Camara with a big shot.

However, he remained in control in the final round to secure the victory and a place in the featherweight final four set to take place in October.

“Winning was a beautiful feeling for me, especially with the support from the crowd.

“I was tested and was still able to bring the heat and throw different varieties of striking, and that made me feel like I’m still on the right track,” he said.

The Nigerian fighter also revealed that his determination to win was boosted by the cage-side presence of South Africa’s Springbok rugby captain Siya Kolisi.

“It positively played such a big part for me. Seeing guys like that, doing so well and being so well respected, making the time to come and enjoy a show like this is truly inspiring to me,” he said.

Star Boi started with kickboxing in 2018 but found an interest in Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) in 2020. He has been with Pandemonium since 2024, coached by Dwain Meredith.

“Since football didn’t go as planned and I saw an opportunity to still use sport to put my family name on the world map, since then I never looked back but only focused on improving every day.”

His advice to upcoming MMA fighters is to always be positive, pick one thing you want to work on and get good at it before picking up the next one.

“Also, focus on working hard as the game grows every day, but most importantly, pray and believe.”