BREAKING: PFL Africa Debuts in Cape Town, Launching Major MMA Tournament Across the Continent – July 26
The Professional Fighters League has announced the launch of PFL Africa, its third international league, with a debut event scheduled for July 26, 2025, at GrandWest Arena in Cape Town, South Africa.
PFL Africa
The event will mark the beginning of the 2025 PFL Africa Tournament, starting with first-round matchups in the Heavyweight and Bantamweight divisions. Each division will feature an eight-man bracket, with fighters advancing through semifinals and finals.
PFL Africa will be led by Chairman Francis Ngannou, a former UFC heavyweight champion, in partnership with Helios Sports & Entertainment Group as a capital partner. Elias Schulze has been appointed General Manager to oversee the league’s launch and operations.
The inaugural tournament will feature 24 fighters from 14 African countries, with the full schedule and host cities for later rounds to be announced soon.
The launch event will also include five PFL Champions Series: Road to Dubai bouts, headlined by a Middleweight World Title fight between Johnny Eblen and Costello van Steenis, and a co-main event featuring Dakota Ditcheva versus Sumiko Inaba.
Heavyweight First Round Bout: Jashell Ticha Awa (3-1) vs. Justin Clarke (2-0)
Bantamweight First Round Bout: Nkosi Ndebele (8-3) vs. Mahmoud Atef (5-2)
Heavyweight First Round Bout: Abdoullah Kane (3-0) vs. Mohammad Ben Yahia (9-4)
Bantamweight First Round Bout: Simbarashe Hokonya (5-0) vs. Abderrahman Errachidy (4-1)
Middleweight World Title Main Event: Johnny Eblen (16-0) vs. Costello van Steenis (16-3)
Women’s Flyweight Co-Main Event: Dakota Ditcheva (14-0) vs. Sumiko Inaba (8-1)
PFL Africa has secured broadcast partnerships with Canal+ for French-language coverage and SuperSport for broader distribution across the continent. A mobile-first platform will also be available in partnership with CFM, aiming to make PFL Africa accessible to over 90% of African households.
The league is designed to provide a platform for African fighters and expand the reach of MMA across the continent, following the PFL’s model of a regular season, playoffs, and championship.
