PFL is currently taking Africa by storm, and this time, they’ve made their way to Morocco alongside Nigerian fighters like Patrick Ocheme, Cornel Thompson, David Samuel and Jane Osigwe.
The fighters landed in Morocco Wednesday for the PFL tournament set to take place on October 10. African athletes are buzzing with excitement to hit the cage and strut their stuff, but some misunderstandings have allegedly dampened the electric atmosphere.
According to Nigerian fighter Jane Osigwe, she was faced with some racist actions that left her disturbed. In a video posted on Instagram, Osigwe said she was approached by a man who had a stern look on his face and appeared ready to cause her harm. The individual approached her, spat at her before proceeding to his seat, all while still staring daggers at her.
Osigwe said she would not use the actions of one person to judge the whole country, but the interaction left her disappointed.
“The bullying/racism has been coming through my DMs and comments, and today it went too far,” she wrote in the caption. “After my face-off, a Moroccan guy spat at me and was laughing and also mixing his face like someone that wants to beat me. I won’t generalize an entire country because of one person’s actions, but this kind of behavior is unacceptable.
“I came to Morocco to fight, not to fight hate. Saturday, I’ll let my performance speak.”
Shortly after this interaction, Instagram user tippaemmanuel revealed the identity of the man as Amine Karmas, a Moroccan MMA fighter who was in attendance. Karmas issued an open apology to Jane on his Instagram Story, stating that it was all a misunderstanding.
“First of all, neither my values nor my upbringing would ever allow me to disrespect a woman or anyone because of their race, nationality, or background.
“Let’s be clear about what actually happened. While walking, I spat on the ground. I did not spit on her, and I hadn’t even seen her. She misunderstood the situation because I had greeted her opponent moments earlier. It was an unfortunate misunderstanding, nothing more.
“Even though I never intended to disrespect her, I still apologized to her personally in front of the entire PFL Africa staff. She accepted my apology, understood that it was not intentional, and we all left on good terms. Everyone went their separate ways peacefully, and I genuinely believed the matter had been settled.
“That is why I was surprised to discover that, after returning to the hotel, she had posted a Reel about me. Since then, many people have been making accusations and judging my character without even being present or knowing what actually happened. They are forming opinions based on one side of the story, without knowing that the situation had already been discussed and that an apology had been made and accepted.
“I also want to make something clear: even when her coach confronted me aggressively, I chose to remain calm and respectful. I did not escalate the situation because I believe in respect, self-control, and sportsmanship.
“They were guests in our country, and as Moroccans, we are proud of our hospitality and our tradition of welcoming people with respect, regardless of where they come from.”
He denied being racist, stressing that he respects people regardless of their skin colour, nationality, culture or religion. He questioned whether the incident was being used to generate social media attention despite the misunderstanding already being resolved.
He also urged people to avoid making assumptions without knowing the full story, emphasising Morocco’s hospitality and respect for all Africans.
Jane Osigwe is yet to respond to the apology, but she appears ready for her second bout against Moroccan fighter Sanaa Mandar, a fight that fight fans have awaited for months.
