The Professional Fighters League (PFL) is expanding its global footprint with the official launch of PFL Africa, its third international league. The league will make its highly anticipated debut on Saturday, July 26, at GrandWest Arena in Cape Town, South Africa.
This inaugural event marks the beginning of the 2025 PFL Africa Tournament, starting with the first-round matchups in the Heavyweight and Bantamweight divisions. Each division will follow an eight-man bracket format, culminating in semifinals and finals to crown the first PFL Africa champions.
Ditcheva and Eblen Set To Return
In addition to tournament bouts, the event will feature five fights as part of the PFL Champions Series: Road to Dubai. The main event will see undefeated Middleweight World Champion Johnny Eblen (16-0) take on Spain’s Costello van Steenis (16-3). Eblen makes his first appearance since defending his Bellator title against Fabian Edwards at the promotion's Battle of the Giants event in Saudi Arabia last October.
In the co-main event, 2024 PFL World Champion Dakota Ditcheva (14-0) faces Hawaii's Sumiko Inaba (8-1). Ditcheva has been vocal in her criticism of the organization in recent weeks, having been without a fight since beating Taila Santos in the final of the 2024 PFL World Tournament in November.
Further bouts will be announced for the Champions Series over the next few weeks.
MMA legend Francis Ngannou will serve as Chairman of PFL Africa, playing a pivotal role in guiding the league’s development and mentoring future African champions.
The first-round matchups for the 2025 PFL Africa Tournament include the following:
Heavyweight Division:
- Jashell Ticha Awa (Cameroon, 3-1) vs. Justin Clarke (South Africa, 2-0)
- Abdoullah Kane (Senegal, 3-0) vs. Mohammad Ben Yahia (Morocco, 9-4)
Bantamweight Division:
- Nkosi Ndebele (South Africa, 8-3) vs. Mahmoud Atef (Egypt, 5-2)
- Simbarashe Hokonya (Zimbabwe, 5-0) vs. Abderrahman Errachidy (Morocco, 4-1)
Details about the full tournament schedule, including semifinal and final host cities, will be revealed in the coming weeks.
