Premium
32 African mixed martial arts fighters set for pro league
Shido Boris from Angola is one of the Mixed Martial Arts fighters from Africa to look out for.
What you need to know:
- With hundreds of millions of MMA fans globally and rapidly growing interest across Africa, PFL’s “win and advance” format brings a unique structure to the sport — now poised to develop a new generation of African champions.
Thirty-two mixed martial arts (MMA) fighters from 14 African nations will take centre stage as the Professional Fighters League (PFL) launches its Africa season in July.
The highly anticipated debut event is scheduled for Saturday, July 26 in Cape Town, South Africa, and will coincide with the PFL Champions Series – Road to Dubai.
PFL Africa marks a historic milestone as the first regional MMA league hosted entirely on the continent. With global MMA icon Francis Ngannou serving as chairman, PFL Africa aims to nurture elite talent through four single-elimination events that will crown the inaugural 2025 PFL Africa Champion.
The tournament will begin with eight-man brackets in the Heavyweight and Bantamweight divisions. Notable first-round matchups include:
Heavyweight Bracket: Jashell Ticha Awa (Cameroon) vs Justin Clarke (South Africa), Abdoullah Kane (Senegal) vs Mohammad Ben Yahia (Morocco)
Bantamweight Bracket: Nkosi Ndebele (South Africa) vs Mahmoud Atef (Egypt), Simbarashe Hokonya (Zimbabwe) vs Abderrahman Errachidy (Morocco)
The Cape Town event will be headlined by five PFL Champions Series – Road to Dubai bouts. In the main event, undefeated Middleweight World Champion Johnny Eblen will face Spain’s Costello van Steenis, while 2024 PFL Women’s World Champion Dakota Ditcheva meets Hawaii’s Sumiko Inaba in the co-main event.
PFL CEO Peter Murray underscored the strategic importance of the league’s expansion into Africa.
“Kicking off the PFL Champions Series in Cape Town alongside the launch of PFL Africa reflects our commitment to grow the sport of MMA throughout the continent as well as provide pathways for African fighters to compete on a global stage and become champions,” said Murray.
“I'm proud to partner with Francis Ngannou and Helios Sports & Entertainment Group and excited to welcome Elias Schulze as GM of PFL Africa.”
Elias Schulze, who previously co-founded Ethiopia’s leading broadcaster Kana TV, will serve as General Manager of PFL Africa, ensuring strong local leadership and cultural insight.
Backed by Helios Sports and Entertainment Group, PFL Africa becomes the organisation’s third international league, following the successful launches of PFL Europe and PFL MENA, reinforcing the league’s global footprint.
“We are proud to partner with the Professional Fighters League to help bring PFL Africa to life,” said Tope Lawani, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Helios Investment Partners, a founding investor in NBA Africa.
“With the leadership of Francis Ngannou and a strong local foundation, PFL Africa has the potential to become a transformative platform for African athletes, fans, and the broader sports ecosystem.”
With hundreds of millions of MMA fans globally and rapidly growing interest across Africa, PFL’s “win and advance” format brings a unique structure to the sport — now poised to develop a new generation of African champions.
